As most of you know - Jim & I have been running regularly now for a few months & are also in the first weeks of a training program to get ready for the Green Bay Marathon in Wisconsin. And as you all know too, I can't believe I am doing that again. Anyhoo....
Yesterday we were scheduled for a 3 mile run, and today is a 6 mile day. So Friday night, we looked online & noticed there was a 5k & 10k race called the Jingle Bell Run located in Fort Walton Beach, which is just a 5 minute drive away from where we live in Destin. So we decided we'd enter the race, get a tshirt via donating to a good cause - Arthritis, and knock out our 3 mile run for the day. The atmosphere was great - the weather was beautiful (right at 60 degrees at racetime). Some people were all dressed up Christmas-y (antlers, red & green outfits, lots of bells). Lots of folks had their dogs there, and they were also dressed up. There was the cutest dachshund there with a Santa hat on - too cute!
This was the first race we had run since probably February of this year in Mobile. We were both extremely pleased with our times & had good runs. We don't ever stay for the awards ceremony since we are just novice runners. We typically eat/drink whatever is offered there, wait for the sweat to dry & then go on home. Last night night after we got back from watching Missouri lose, Jim looked online to see if the results were posted....would you believe that we both placed?!?!
Jim had a great race - finished 2nd out of 10 in his age category, with a time of 25:49, or a 8:20 mile pace. He finished 48th overall out of 282 runners (men & women). I finished 3rd out of 20 in my age category, with a time of 26:27, or a 8:32 mile pace. I finished 54th overall out of the same 282 runners. We both think it strange that they don't post the results in groups of women vs men. I counted up that I was 12th out of all WOMEN....but have no idea how many women were in the 282 count. Guess we need to find out where to pick up our trophies! Woohoo!
Today is a 6 mile run, so we'll probably head to the beach for that. We are gonna miss that run....it is so beautiful!!
Sunday, December 02, 2007
The Packing has Begun
Yesterday, we got a trailer hitch installed on my new Honda Pilot to get ready for the move to Orlando. Since we sold the truck, we had no way to pull the Waverunner! So now we will be ready for the move.
We also bought some packing supplies (boxes, tape, paper, etc) & spent a few hours hard packing yesterday - so the boxes are stacked up in the house again, just like they were back in March of this year when we moved in!
The more we pack, the more real the move to Orlando is, and the more excited we are. We are really anxious to get down there for sure. We also have a place to live! Jim picked it out, I haven't even seen it! But I figure I can live anywhere for a year, which is the length of the lease we signed. It's a nice place in Windermere, FL (suburb of Orlando). Apparently Tiger Woods & Shaq live there! And they are building a 40,000 sq ft house there as well. Who needs 40,000??? Anything over 2,000 is plenty! Anyway - our temporary home there has a pool (with pool service & lawn service included in the rent...WOOHOO!!) so we are excited abou that!
Better get packing!
We also bought some packing supplies (boxes, tape, paper, etc) & spent a few hours hard packing yesterday - so the boxes are stacked up in the house again, just like they were back in March of this year when we moved in!
The more we pack, the more real the move to Orlando is, and the more excited we are. We are really anxious to get down there for sure. We also have a place to live! Jim picked it out, I haven't even seen it! But I figure I can live anywhere for a year, which is the length of the lease we signed. It's a nice place in Windermere, FL (suburb of Orlando). Apparently Tiger Woods & Shaq live there! And they are building a 40,000 sq ft house there as well. Who needs 40,000??? Anything over 2,000 is plenty! Anyway - our temporary home there has a pool (with pool service & lawn service included in the rent...WOOHOO!!) so we are excited abou that!
Better get packing!
It was Fun while it Lasted
Well our Missouri Tigers fell from graces last night - we lost to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Conference Title game. So we were #1 for a week, which was fun - but that is the end of our exciting season! We will obviously go to a bowl game, but the miracle season stopped last night unfortunately. Jim & I went somewhere to watch the game & had to sit next to some Oklahoma grads. They started off a bit snooty & talked trash, but by the end of the game, we were all buddies. I think they expected us to be loud & obnoxious & a bit cocky since we were having such a great season, but we were none of the above. Oklahoma dominated us the whole game unfortunately. It was hard to watch & we were both very disappointed, but life goes on!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thanksgiving Bloat, I mean Day
Ahhh yes - another wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Jim & I went to his parents house in Daphne, AL on Wed afternoon & just got back around noon Sunday.
The house was full of company, but it wasn't the same without R & P and their boys who have recently moved to Wisconsin. We missed them immensely & it will never be the same without them there. There were lots of phone calls though!
Like always, Jim's mom cooked WAY too much yummy food. I feel like I have to eat every 2 hours now since that is what I did the past few days! Jim smoked 3 turkey breasts & also fried a whole turkey - YUMMY!! He does such a great job. We watched lots of football, ate, visited and just enjoyed relaxing.
Speaking of football - how 'bout those Mizzou Tigers!!!! Can you believe they are #1 in the nation now? At least in all the polls but one. The BCS rankings have not been released yet as of blog "press time". They let Kansas come back in the 4th quarter & it was a little too close for comfort, but we pulled out the win. What an exciting year of football this has been.
Jim & I got all suited up in our running clothes, got our water ready & gels & iPods, took off & it started raining. Neither of us were in much of a mood to run 10 miles in that weather, so we will try it again tomorrow night when the forecast is only cloudy - not thunderstorms.
The house was full of company, but it wasn't the same without R & P and their boys who have recently moved to Wisconsin. We missed them immensely & it will never be the same without them there. There were lots of phone calls though!
Like always, Jim's mom cooked WAY too much yummy food. I feel like I have to eat every 2 hours now since that is what I did the past few days! Jim smoked 3 turkey breasts & also fried a whole turkey - YUMMY!! He does such a great job. We watched lots of football, ate, visited and just enjoyed relaxing.
Speaking of football - how 'bout those Mizzou Tigers!!!! Can you believe they are #1 in the nation now? At least in all the polls but one. The BCS rankings have not been released yet as of blog "press time". They let Kansas come back in the 4th quarter & it was a little too close for comfort, but we pulled out the win. What an exciting year of football this has been.
Jim & I got all suited up in our running clothes, got our water ready & gels & iPods, took off & it started raining. Neither of us were in much of a mood to run 10 miles in that weather, so we will try it again tomorrow night when the forecast is only cloudy - not thunderstorms.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
National Peanut Festival
I missed my normal Sunday blogging last weekend, as Jim & I went to Dothan, AL to visit his sister & family for the weekend. We planned the visit to coincide with the National Peanut Festival, which Jim used to attend faithfully when he was growing up there. He had told me so much about it, and of course, I am very familiar with fairs & such growing up in Missouri & showing sheep. I attended many a county & state fair!!
Jim & I had SO MUCH FUN that weekend! We really enjoyed the company - had so much fun hanging out with ALL of them!!! We got in Friday night later than we would have liked (I had to work later than I wanted) so we just talked for a while that night & then went to bed. Saturday morning, W & T left early to go set up chairs at their church for the parade & Jim & were in charge of getting his nieces (ages 15 & 18) up & ready in time to go to breakfast at 8. SUCCESS! Jim cracked the whip & we made it in time! It was a pancake & sausage breakfast (yum!) & we enjoyed it immensely! All you can eat - but for whatever reason, I can never eat more than 2 1/2 pancakes.
After breakfast, we went to the parade which lasted for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Because it is the PEANUT festival, right after the cops went through which are usually first, there was a cement truck which I thought was odd, until I noticed what was happening! The cement truck was dumping out a stream of roasted peanuts in the street & folks (with bags in hand) rushed out there & picked up as many as they could as fast as they could! I have never seen anything like it. And of course, I had to join in the fun, putting peanuts in my shirt (holding the tail of it to make a make-shift bowl). I looked down the street & there were people as far as the eye could see all getting their peanuts. Next year I'll be prepared & take a bag like everyone else who had obviously been to this rodeo before!!! So much fun!
After the parade, we went back to W & T house & watched the Mizzou game (# 3 in the country!!!!) along with the Auburn game & also met the boyfriend of our niece (we approve!) Then that night, we went to THE peanut festival. And here is where the pigging out begins.
I don't know why - but there is something glorious about fair corn dogs. I don't even like hot dogs really, and definitely don't buy them or eat them EVER during the year. But for whatever reason, I just don't think there is anything better than a fair corn dog. In fact, I think this all began with me back in the days of the Missouri State Fair when I would show sheep every year. There was always a corn dog & fresh lemonade stand that was set up right by the sheep pavilion. We'd hit that place up at least twice during the fair - it was tradition & I loved it.
At any rate - after downing 2 corn dogs & a fried Snickers bar (oh yeah - words can't even describe!!!), we decided to check out some exhibits which we really enjoyed ( but the sheep were gone, only goats). Then we headed to the Midway & W, T & I watched while the "kids" - Jim & his nieces rode some rides that made me want to hurl just watching them. Merry Go Rounds make me nauseous, so there was no getting me on these things.
Sunday, we got up, T cooked us a wonderful breakfast complete with biscuits, grits, bacon & eggs. We also had lunch there & then headed back to Destin. We had a Ton of fun and hope we can make it an annual tradition.
Jim & I had SO MUCH FUN that weekend! We really enjoyed the company - had so much fun hanging out with ALL of them!!! We got in Friday night later than we would have liked (I had to work later than I wanted) so we just talked for a while that night & then went to bed. Saturday morning, W & T left early to go set up chairs at their church for the parade & Jim & were in charge of getting his nieces (ages 15 & 18) up & ready in time to go to breakfast at 8. SUCCESS! Jim cracked the whip & we made it in time! It was a pancake & sausage breakfast (yum!) & we enjoyed it immensely! All you can eat - but for whatever reason, I can never eat more than 2 1/2 pancakes.
After breakfast, we went to the parade which lasted for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Because it is the PEANUT festival, right after the cops went through which are usually first, there was a cement truck which I thought was odd, until I noticed what was happening! The cement truck was dumping out a stream of roasted peanuts in the street & folks (with bags in hand) rushed out there & picked up as many as they could as fast as they could! I have never seen anything like it. And of course, I had to join in the fun, putting peanuts in my shirt (holding the tail of it to make a make-shift bowl). I looked down the street & there were people as far as the eye could see all getting their peanuts. Next year I'll be prepared & take a bag like everyone else who had obviously been to this rodeo before!!! So much fun!
After the parade, we went back to W & T house & watched the Mizzou game (# 3 in the country!!!!) along with the Auburn game & also met the boyfriend of our niece (we approve!) Then that night, we went to THE peanut festival. And here is where the pigging out begins.
I don't know why - but there is something glorious about fair corn dogs. I don't even like hot dogs really, and definitely don't buy them or eat them EVER during the year. But for whatever reason, I just don't think there is anything better than a fair corn dog. In fact, I think this all began with me back in the days of the Missouri State Fair when I would show sheep every year. There was always a corn dog & fresh lemonade stand that was set up right by the sheep pavilion. We'd hit that place up at least twice during the fair - it was tradition & I loved it.
At any rate - after downing 2 corn dogs & a fried Snickers bar (oh yeah - words can't even describe!!!), we decided to check out some exhibits which we really enjoyed ( but the sheep were gone, only goats). Then we headed to the Midway & W, T & I watched while the "kids" - Jim & his nieces rode some rides that made me want to hurl just watching them. Merry Go Rounds make me nauseous, so there was no getting me on these things.
Sunday, we got up, T cooked us a wonderful breakfast complete with biscuits, grits, bacon & eggs. We also had lunch there & then headed back to Destin. We had a Ton of fun and hope we can make it an annual tradition.
My sweet husband
I thought this deserved its own post...
Jim picked me up from the airport from my trip to DC this week, as we wanted him to have the truck here in case we were able to sell it (we were!).
When he picked me up - he had a bouquet of pink miniature roses laying in the front seat for me! What sweetheart I have as a husband!!!
Jim picked me up from the airport from my trip to DC this week, as we wanted him to have the truck here in case we were able to sell it (we were!).
When he picked me up - he had a bouquet of pink miniature roses laying in the front seat for me! What sweetheart I have as a husband!!!
A New Member of the Family
No babies....a new (used) car.
I was in Washington DC last week for work & Jim was successful in selling our truck outright, so the car purchase became a priority this weekend. We had decided that we wanted an SUV (not a big one, but a mid-size). Because Jim is driving so much for his job, he has adopted our other girl (the VW Passat) as his vehicle, as it gets good gas mileage. So this vehicle would be mine & I got to pick! It has been since April of 2002 since I had a new vehicle, so needless to say - I was excited!
I don't know how many of you have heard of CarMax, but we will probably never buy a car from anywhere else again after having such a great experience this time. Basically, they only sell vehicles (trades) that pass a multi-point checklist (certain amount of miles, age, dings, wear & tear). Those that pass muster are those that they sell, all others get auctioned. And they offer no-haggle pricing, which is at least $1,000 under Kelley Blue Book value. And you can search nationwide for whatever vehicle you want that fit your criteria and have it transferred to the nearest location. After dealing with them and getting the whole scoop on their business model - look out for this company - they are doing all the right things.
So back to the new purchase! We located 2 vehicles that we were going to decide between - Jim had gone there earlier in the week while he was in Jacksonville, FL for work & looked at them but didn't drive them. One was a black Acura MDX & one was a black Honda Pilot. After driving both - we chose the Honda Pilot (it was unanimous!). I am loving it & enjoyed the 5 hour drive back in my new car. Of course, now I need to study up on the owner's manual so I know what all it can do. Jim drove it last night to Wal-Mart & played with the voice command feature - CRAZY! You can tell it to change the temperature to 70 degrees inside & it does!! Or tell it what radio station you want - and it goes there! It's like I have my own buddy in the car :)
Other than driving 10 hours yesterday to get a new car, Jim has been smoking the Thanksgiving Day turkey breasts today (and some ribs for us to eat tonight). Ahhh the smells from our house today - heavenly!! Jim does such a good job with the turkeys & he enjoys it so much. Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday - so I just really enjoy him loving this time of year!!
We had our long run of the day - 8 miles - felt good, but I had to go to the bathroom the whole time....too much information I am sure - but it did add an interesting element to the run!
I was in Washington DC last week for work & Jim was successful in selling our truck outright, so the car purchase became a priority this weekend. We had decided that we wanted an SUV (not a big one, but a mid-size). Because Jim is driving so much for his job, he has adopted our other girl (the VW Passat) as his vehicle, as it gets good gas mileage. So this vehicle would be mine & I got to pick! It has been since April of 2002 since I had a new vehicle, so needless to say - I was excited!
I don't know how many of you have heard of CarMax, but we will probably never buy a car from anywhere else again after having such a great experience this time. Basically, they only sell vehicles (trades) that pass a multi-point checklist (certain amount of miles, age, dings, wear & tear). Those that pass muster are those that they sell, all others get auctioned. And they offer no-haggle pricing, which is at least $1,000 under Kelley Blue Book value. And you can search nationwide for whatever vehicle you want that fit your criteria and have it transferred to the nearest location. After dealing with them and getting the whole scoop on their business model - look out for this company - they are doing all the right things.
So back to the new purchase! We located 2 vehicles that we were going to decide between - Jim had gone there earlier in the week while he was in Jacksonville, FL for work & looked at them but didn't drive them. One was a black Acura MDX & one was a black Honda Pilot. After driving both - we chose the Honda Pilot (it was unanimous!). I am loving it & enjoyed the 5 hour drive back in my new car. Of course, now I need to study up on the owner's manual so I know what all it can do. Jim drove it last night to Wal-Mart & played with the voice command feature - CRAZY! You can tell it to change the temperature to 70 degrees inside & it does!! Or tell it what radio station you want - and it goes there! It's like I have my own buddy in the car :)
Other than driving 10 hours yesterday to get a new car, Jim has been smoking the Thanksgiving Day turkey breasts today (and some ribs for us to eat tonight). Ahhh the smells from our house today - heavenly!! Jim does such a good job with the turkeys & he enjoys it so much. Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday - so I just really enjoy him loving this time of year!!
We had our long run of the day - 8 miles - felt good, but I had to go to the bathroom the whole time....too much information I am sure - but it did add an interesting element to the run!
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Eight Mile
The run this morning was great! Right along the beach, the water looked so turquoise blue, nice breeze, lots of butterflies. It was nice! For whatever reason, my feet fall asleep consistently between miles 3 & 4. I can't explain it & have not figured it out via the internet either. The good part is though, I can walk for probably 1-2 minutes and then start running again & they are completely fine. It's not my shoes, I have switched up shoes (ones that I used to do the 1/2 marathon last year, and train in) and my feet still do it. But after I start running again, I am feeling good!
A couple of funny things happened on the run today. There were lots of people out & about this morning as it was just beautiful out (and still is). Lots of dog walking, jogging, walking & biking alongside the beach. From a distance, I could see a girl probably my age walking her dog and then I saw the dog plop down on the grass alongside the jogging path. As we past by her, I could hear her coaxing him to get up to get going again. I thought it so funny because I would have rather been laying on the grass enjoying the view too! :)
Another funny thing is the fact that it must be the Butterfly Convention this weekend, as there were monarch butterflies EVERYWHERE! Jim & I have mastered the "bob & weave" to avoid getting splatted in the face.
The strangest thing though? Both of us laid down after a big carb-loaded lunch to take a nap, each of us with a kitty beside us. Neither one of us could fall asleep?! Crazy. I actually fell asleep for about 5 minutes & thought I had been asleep for an hour. I guess a 5 minute power nap is just fine too! I was awoken by a kitty jumping down & meowing as the neighbor cat streaked across our back yard & disturbed the peace in our house!
A couple of funny things happened on the run today. There were lots of people out & about this morning as it was just beautiful out (and still is). Lots of dog walking, jogging, walking & biking alongside the beach. From a distance, I could see a girl probably my age walking her dog and then I saw the dog plop down on the grass alongside the jogging path. As we past by her, I could hear her coaxing him to get up to get going again. I thought it so funny because I would have rather been laying on the grass enjoying the view too! :)
Another funny thing is the fact that it must be the Butterfly Convention this weekend, as there were monarch butterflies EVERYWHERE! Jim & I have mastered the "bob & weave" to avoid getting splatted in the face.
The strangest thing though? Both of us laid down after a big carb-loaded lunch to take a nap, each of us with a kitty beside us. Neither one of us could fall asleep?! Crazy. I actually fell asleep for about 5 minutes & thought I had been asleep for an hour. I guess a 5 minute power nap is just fine too! I was awoken by a kitty jumping down & meowing as the neighbor cat streaked across our back yard & disturbed the peace in our house!
Redundant yet Consistent
Jim & I just read each other's blogs that we just posted & decided we need to coordinate beforehand, so as not to bore our regular readers. It was actually funny how similar our last posts were!!! Read mine titled "Crazy Week" and then move on to his titled "Life on the Road".....
Guess it is true what they say - Great minds think alike! :)
Guess it is true what they say - Great minds think alike! :)
Crazy Week
I missed my weekend blogging last weekend, as Jim & I were in Orlando for house hunting. We did find a beautiful wonderful dream house, but then slept on it a few nights and decided that we would be much smarter to move to Orlando & rent for a year before we bought a house. As much as we hate to move twice, and as anxious as we are to get back into a house, we think this is the best decision for us right now. When we were moving to Mobile, AL - we had a similar situation, where we did a whirlwind house hunting trip for 2 days & then bought a house. If we had lived there a bit first, we probably would have bought somewhere else. We did feel really bad that the real estate agent took a weekend out of her life to show us around & then we didn't buy anything, but we feel good about our decision. So now on to searching for a rental! There are actually some really nice houses for rent, going for a little more than we pay rent now in Destin, so that is what we're going to do. Anything to stay out of an apartment!!
Now on to the vehicle situation....
Now that Jim is on the road a lot of the time, driving to Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, etc - we have switched vehicles. He is now driving my VW Passat & I am driving his rough 'n tough Chevy Silverado extended cab pickup truck!! :) At first, he refused to let me drive it, as there is just something wrong with little 'ol me driving such a big thing. But I finally convinced him it just made too much sense, with me driving 13 miles to work each day vs. him driving about 500 miles. My car gets better mileage of course!! This is a short term solution, as we are hunting for new vehicles for me. Both of our cars have over 100,000 miles on them, so it's time to trade. We do want to drive mine til it dies though!! So yesterday we went to look for SUVs for me. There are a couple that we really like, but definitely have a favorite. We're going to drive it tomorrow & then see where it goes from there. Once we decide on the winner, we'll go to Carmax to purchase it - they have Awesome prices there (economies of scale, right Jim??).
Now we are letting our yummy pancake breakfast settle before we go on our run for the weekend. Today's mileage is EIGHT miles. But we are running along the gulf, which is a gorgeous run, smells great, lots of awesome condos/houses to gawk at and just a pretty relaxing run. As Robert announced on his blog this week, we are training for a marathon again. I didn't think I'd EVER want to do it again after the marathon in Feb 2005 (# 196 on that list), but now that I have a training buddy who is so far injury free, I am excited! We'll see if we both stay healthy. We plan on traveling up to Green Bay, Wisconsin in the spring of 2008 where we'll get to visit Jim's sister & her family in their new home, as well as run with Robert, our brother-in-law.
Mizzou won AGAIN! In fact - they KILLED Colorado! WOOHOO! Jim & I are enjoying this season for sure, and with them being ranked in the top 10, they are actually on TV here, down in SEC country!!
Other than that, good news with lots of my friends - J & S are having a girl! A & O are going to be first-time parents! K & F are having a boy! A & J just had a boy! N & B are expecting twins any day!! Lots of babies....
Please pray for Pam as she goes to defend her dissertation tomorrow. From there, she goes to Honduras for her second Operation Smile trip.
Jim & I are headed to Dothan, AL next weekend to visit his other sister & family for the World Famous Peanut Festival!!! I haven't been to a fair for years, and this is apparently a big one! Jim of course used to go every year when he was growing up. I am looking forward to a good 'ol fair corn dog slathered with mustard, chased by a funnel cake! Good thing I'm running 20 miles per week!
Now on to the vehicle situation....
Now that Jim is on the road a lot of the time, driving to Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, etc - we have switched vehicles. He is now driving my VW Passat & I am driving his rough 'n tough Chevy Silverado extended cab pickup truck!! :) At first, he refused to let me drive it, as there is just something wrong with little 'ol me driving such a big thing. But I finally convinced him it just made too much sense, with me driving 13 miles to work each day vs. him driving about 500 miles. My car gets better mileage of course!! This is a short term solution, as we are hunting for new vehicles for me. Both of our cars have over 100,000 miles on them, so it's time to trade. We do want to drive mine til it dies though!! So yesterday we went to look for SUVs for me. There are a couple that we really like, but definitely have a favorite. We're going to drive it tomorrow & then see where it goes from there. Once we decide on the winner, we'll go to Carmax to purchase it - they have Awesome prices there (economies of scale, right Jim??).
Now we are letting our yummy pancake breakfast settle before we go on our run for the weekend. Today's mileage is EIGHT miles. But we are running along the gulf, which is a gorgeous run, smells great, lots of awesome condos/houses to gawk at and just a pretty relaxing run. As Robert announced on his blog this week, we are training for a marathon again. I didn't think I'd EVER want to do it again after the marathon in Feb 2005 (# 196 on that list), but now that I have a training buddy who is so far injury free, I am excited! We'll see if we both stay healthy. We plan on traveling up to Green Bay, Wisconsin in the spring of 2008 where we'll get to visit Jim's sister & her family in their new home, as well as run with Robert, our brother-in-law.
Mizzou won AGAIN! In fact - they KILLED Colorado! WOOHOO! Jim & I are enjoying this season for sure, and with them being ranked in the top 10, they are actually on TV here, down in SEC country!!
Other than that, good news with lots of my friends - J & S are having a girl! A & O are going to be first-time parents! K & F are having a boy! A & J just had a boy! N & B are expecting twins any day!! Lots of babies....
Please pray for Pam as she goes to defend her dissertation tomorrow. From there, she goes to Honduras for her second Operation Smile trip.
Jim & I are headed to Dothan, AL next weekend to visit his other sister & family for the World Famous Peanut Festival!!! I haven't been to a fair for years, and this is apparently a big one! Jim of course used to go every year when he was growing up. I am looking forward to a good 'ol fair corn dog slathered with mustard, chased by a funnel cake! Good thing I'm running 20 miles per week!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
We get the drift
Jim & I just had a belly laugh -
we are watching Sunday NFL countdown & they are covering controversial WR, Chad Johnson (aka Ocho Cinco). Emmitt Smith just said that Chad Johnson is an "Escape Goat". We were cracking up!!!!
we are watching Sunday NFL countdown & they are covering controversial WR, Chad Johnson (aka Ocho Cinco). Emmitt Smith just said that Chad Johnson is an "Escape Goat". We were cracking up!!!!
Survival in DC
I survived another long week of work in DC this past week. I had a 7 am flight Monday morning, which means i have to get up by 4:15 in order to get ready, finish packing, make it to the airport, park, check baggage & get on the plane. There were a couple of bright spots in this week's travel - thank goodness - because it was a LONG week with lots of hours unfortunately.
Bright spot #1 - I got to see one of my old buddies from my old sector!! He was in town as well last week & was staying near the Pentagon. So I drove there to meet up with him for dinner on Monday night. He is a retired Navy guy who I worked with very closely in my last job as he was the Director of Contracts & I was of Business Management on the same program. So needless to say, we worked together a lot & became very good friends. He was like a surrogate dad in the office, as he is wise with lots of life experience, some good & some bad. His wife is a breast cancer survivor (happened in the past couple of years) and has had to completely rebuild his home after Katrina. On the good side of life experiences, he has been blessed with many grandchildren that he loves dearly!
Bright spot #2 - The new guy started!! WOOHOO! I had mentioned in a post a while back how i had basically been doing 3 jobs? Well that number should drop back now, as the guy we hired to take over one of the group business management jobs started this past monday. I tried to spend as much time as possible with him to bring him up to speed on our portfolio & issues going on with his programs (that I had been covering in the past couple of months). The quicker he gets up to speed, the quicker I can go back to concentrating on my particular responsibilities. Like I had mentioned to my boss & anybody else who would listen....I had been feeling like that poor chap in the cartoon that was sticking his fingers / toes / nose / elbow in the dam, but water would just squirt out somewhere else!!! I am glad to have someone standing at the dam with me again.
Bright spot #3 - No airport delays!!!! WOW! Write it down! I did have 30 minute delays on both ends, but I don't even count those as delays after the summer of traveling i have had!! So I made it there on time, and also made it back home Friday night on time. What a difference that makes.
Bright spot #4 - I was supposed to get together with an old friend from my old stomping grounds in MO (Salisbury, which is the neighboring town to my home town of Keytesville). My brother saw BM (not bowel movement, this is his initials) one weekend & mentioned that I had been traveling to DC with my job. Apparently he was also scheduled to be in the area at the same time, so we had tried to meet up. He is married to one of my old friends from high school too, and we know tons of the same people since we grew up in such a small town. It unfortunately didn't work out for us to get together because of the long hours I had to work, but we did get to catch up over the phone. It was great to find out about where all of our common friends were & what they were doing. I love those conversations - they are good to have every now & then to catch up on old friends.
Bright spot #5 - I had a great meeting with executive management while I was there. Don't want to go into any details here, but it was awesome!
Bright spot #6 - The new guy gave me a nickname "Ms Partly Sunny". It's not so much the nickname or this person giving it to me that was the bright spot. The bright spot was that my happiness must show through, even among the stress & long hours. It also reminded me that people are always watching & the best witness I can be for my God is to let others see Him through me.
So all in all, it was a good week at work.
I'm very glad to have Jim home too - he had a long week of work too. Check out his blog for the details (I am assuming he'll be posting about it).
Bright spot #1 - I got to see one of my old buddies from my old sector!! He was in town as well last week & was staying near the Pentagon. So I drove there to meet up with him for dinner on Monday night. He is a retired Navy guy who I worked with very closely in my last job as he was the Director of Contracts & I was of Business Management on the same program. So needless to say, we worked together a lot & became very good friends. He was like a surrogate dad in the office, as he is wise with lots of life experience, some good & some bad. His wife is a breast cancer survivor (happened in the past couple of years) and has had to completely rebuild his home after Katrina. On the good side of life experiences, he has been blessed with many grandchildren that he loves dearly!
Bright spot #2 - The new guy started!! WOOHOO! I had mentioned in a post a while back how i had basically been doing 3 jobs? Well that number should drop back now, as the guy we hired to take over one of the group business management jobs started this past monday. I tried to spend as much time as possible with him to bring him up to speed on our portfolio & issues going on with his programs (that I had been covering in the past couple of months). The quicker he gets up to speed, the quicker I can go back to concentrating on my particular responsibilities. Like I had mentioned to my boss & anybody else who would listen....I had been feeling like that poor chap in the cartoon that was sticking his fingers / toes / nose / elbow in the dam, but water would just squirt out somewhere else!!! I am glad to have someone standing at the dam with me again.
Bright spot #3 - No airport delays!!!! WOW! Write it down! I did have 30 minute delays on both ends, but I don't even count those as delays after the summer of traveling i have had!! So I made it there on time, and also made it back home Friday night on time. What a difference that makes.
Bright spot #4 - I was supposed to get together with an old friend from my old stomping grounds in MO (Salisbury, which is the neighboring town to my home town of Keytesville). My brother saw BM (not bowel movement, this is his initials) one weekend & mentioned that I had been traveling to DC with my job. Apparently he was also scheduled to be in the area at the same time, so we had tried to meet up. He is married to one of my old friends from high school too, and we know tons of the same people since we grew up in such a small town. It unfortunately didn't work out for us to get together because of the long hours I had to work, but we did get to catch up over the phone. It was great to find out about where all of our common friends were & what they were doing. I love those conversations - they are good to have every now & then to catch up on old friends.
Bright spot #5 - I had a great meeting with executive management while I was there. Don't want to go into any details here, but it was awesome!
Bright spot #6 - The new guy gave me a nickname "Ms Partly Sunny". It's not so much the nickname or this person giving it to me that was the bright spot. The bright spot was that my happiness must show through, even among the stress & long hours. It also reminded me that people are always watching & the best witness I can be for my God is to let others see Him through me.
So all in all, it was a good week at work.
I'm very glad to have Jim home too - he had a long week of work too. Check out his blog for the details (I am assuming he'll be posting about it).
Sunday, October 14, 2007
A Good Sunday
Jim left this morning for Memphis, TN for a week of training for his new job. He was anxious to get the training underway, so he can hit the pavement so to speak when he gets back. So since he left this morning around 9ish, I had the whole day by myself. I went on a 4 mile run this morning, but should have gotten up earlier to do it, because it was already hot by the time I got out there. I also have nice sunburn raccoon eyes. Then, I ate some lunch, watched my fantasy football team DOMINATE, and then decided to go to the beach to read & take a nap.
This trip to the beach was like no other. Unfortunately, the FL panhandle beach is suffering from "Red Tide" right now. Definitely click that link & read about it. I had never heard of such a thing until I saw it in this morning's paper. Yesterday, Jim & I ate lunch at Pompano Joe's on the beach & the purple flags were flying high indicating dangerous marine life. Today, there were no purple flags flying, so I thought I was home free. Not so much!
Apparently, not only is it very harmful to go into the water (I didn't!), but the effects of a red tide can also impact beachgoers without going into the water. The instant that I started walking in the sand toward the water to stake my spot to set up my chair & blanket, I started coughing uncontrollably! I had read about people going into the water & having side effects such as coughing / wheezing - but I didn't think just sitting in the sand would do the same thing. So I sipped on my water, but couldn't help but notice everyone else around me also hacking up their right lung. Most folks just got up & left saying things like "I can't even relax" and "I just can't handle this coughing anymore". I also left within about 1/2 hour because I just couldn't stop coughing. Once I got home, I was completely fine though! Crazy stuff, huh?
So once I got back home, I again watched football while snuggling with both of my kitties (NEVER at the same time - they are too jealous of each other). I just finished eating dinner, still watching football & just talked to Jim from his conference in Memphis.
I have an EARLY morning tomorrow, as I catch a 7 am flight to DC, which means I have to leave the house by 5:00 - which means up by 4ish. YIKES. Good thing I can sleep on the plane! Also a good thing that both of us are gone for the same week! Good for everyone except the fuzzy boys.
This trip to the beach was like no other. Unfortunately, the FL panhandle beach is suffering from "Red Tide" right now. Definitely click that link & read about it. I had never heard of such a thing until I saw it in this morning's paper. Yesterday, Jim & I ate lunch at Pompano Joe's on the beach & the purple flags were flying high indicating dangerous marine life. Today, there were no purple flags flying, so I thought I was home free. Not so much!
Apparently, not only is it very harmful to go into the water (I didn't!), but the effects of a red tide can also impact beachgoers without going into the water. The instant that I started walking in the sand toward the water to stake my spot to set up my chair & blanket, I started coughing uncontrollably! I had read about people going into the water & having side effects such as coughing / wheezing - but I didn't think just sitting in the sand would do the same thing. So I sipped on my water, but couldn't help but notice everyone else around me also hacking up their right lung. Most folks just got up & left saying things like "I can't even relax" and "I just can't handle this coughing anymore". I also left within about 1/2 hour because I just couldn't stop coughing. Once I got home, I was completely fine though! Crazy stuff, huh?
So once I got back home, I again watched football while snuggling with both of my kitties (NEVER at the same time - they are too jealous of each other). I just finished eating dinner, still watching football & just talked to Jim from his conference in Memphis.
I have an EARLY morning tomorrow, as I catch a 7 am flight to DC, which means I have to leave the house by 5:00 - which means up by 4ish. YIKES. Good thing I can sleep on the plane! Also a good thing that both of us are gone for the same week! Good for everyone except the fuzzy boys.
In case you hadn't already heard...
Mizzou lost :-(
There were opportunities, but we just didn't come through. Jim & I didn't go to Buffalo Wild Wings and instead went to a sports bar down the street called Sportsbook. There were about 4 other tables of Mizzou fans & they had seated us all in the same area of the dining room, so watching the game was a lot of fun. By the end of the night, we were all high-fiving each other! I wish the outcome would have been different, but I still think we hung with them for the most part. Norman, OK is a tough place to play.
There were opportunities, but we just didn't come through. Jim & I didn't go to Buffalo Wild Wings and instead went to a sports bar down the street called Sportsbook. There were about 4 other tables of Mizzou fans & they had seated us all in the same area of the dining room, so watching the game was a lot of fun. By the end of the night, we were all high-fiving each other! I wish the outcome would have been different, but I still think we hung with them for the most part. Norman, OK is a tough place to play.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
College Game Day!!
Guess where?! Covering the Missouri @ OU game! Jim & I are going to our local Buffalo Wild Wings to watch it tonight. There is just something fun & exciting about watching a good football game with a bunch of strangers.
Wonderful Weather
It has been SO nice here the past couple of days! It is in the 50s or so at night, 60s to low 70s in the morning & only up to 80 or so during the day. I am loving it! And so are our kitty boys. Anybody that knows our kitty Truman knows that he LOVES the outside. He lays by the window or in the window most of the day. SO now that the weather has turned off nice, we are able to open our windows - Truman is in HEAVEN!
We're moving to Orlando!
I am mentioned some hints about this in a few of my past posts, and most of you that read my blog have already heard about all of the excitement. But - there are others of you that I don't get to talk to as often, and probably haven't told you what is going on! So here's what's going on:
Obviously Jim wasn't seeking out new employment as we had just moved here & he was just given his own territory. We were perfectly content, although there were things about his job that we knew would get old, and he wouldn't do forever. For instance, he is basically pinned down to his territory - as he is the only one here. He was always on call, evenings & weekends, unless he works something out with a neighboring territory consultant. The only problem with that is, if that person that is covering a case in his own territory during the same weekend, and something may happen to come up in Jim's, the neighboring consultant would cover his own & leave Jim's unattended - which is exactly what he should have done & Jim would too. Customer service & being available at all times is one of the things that makes these guys successful in their jobs. So depending on which doctors were on call - that could be a killer in the customer service dept. So because of that, Jim just hated to leave the territory! Which was fine when we first moved here & during the summer, because seriously - where would we go! :) We were already in paradise! :)
But - that kind of schedule can wear on you and it made going on trips or visits to family hard to do. Like I said though, he wasn't actively looking for a new job.
He was contacted out of the blue by MULTIPLE head hunters within about a 2 week span -- very crazy. Lots of the opportunities were ones that he just turned down right away, but there was one that really peaked his interest. The company was actually one of the biggest competitors to his then current employeer. So as you can imagine, they were definitely willing to make sure the opportunity that they offered him was good enough for him to switch companies. But what really interested Jim in the position is that instead of being in orthapedic trauma (which has the crazy hours), he would be working in their spine division (which is usually elective surgery and scheduled in advance). So - no more weekends / evenings! And more $$$! What a great combo! His new territory spans Northern Florida...the entire panhandle - all the way to Jacksonville, down to Orlando & Tampa. His biggest accounts are in Orlando / Jacksonville, so we have chosen to move there to Orlando. We go on our first house hunting trip in 2 weeks & are super excited!!!
As for my job, I will be doing the same thing with my company. It actually benefits both my company & us, as the flights are cheaper from Orlando to DC and are direct (no more delays & cancellations on connecting flights!!! WOOHOO!). Also - I will be working out of our home instead of going into an office every day! I am really excited about that for sure.
So that's the story. I wish I could have told you all myself! We'll keep you posted on the househunting & new contact info when we have it. We are hoping to be moved by January. And just in case you were wondering - Jim has already nixxed the idea of Disney World season tickets....
Obviously Jim wasn't seeking out new employment as we had just moved here & he was just given his own territory. We were perfectly content, although there were things about his job that we knew would get old, and he wouldn't do forever. For instance, he is basically pinned down to his territory - as he is the only one here. He was always on call, evenings & weekends, unless he works something out with a neighboring territory consultant. The only problem with that is, if that person that is covering a case in his own territory during the same weekend, and something may happen to come up in Jim's, the neighboring consultant would cover his own & leave Jim's unattended - which is exactly what he should have done & Jim would too. Customer service & being available at all times is one of the things that makes these guys successful in their jobs. So depending on which doctors were on call - that could be a killer in the customer service dept. So because of that, Jim just hated to leave the territory! Which was fine when we first moved here & during the summer, because seriously - where would we go! :) We were already in paradise! :)
But - that kind of schedule can wear on you and it made going on trips or visits to family hard to do. Like I said though, he wasn't actively looking for a new job.
He was contacted out of the blue by MULTIPLE head hunters within about a 2 week span -- very crazy. Lots of the opportunities were ones that he just turned down right away, but there was one that really peaked his interest. The company was actually one of the biggest competitors to his then current employeer. So as you can imagine, they were definitely willing to make sure the opportunity that they offered him was good enough for him to switch companies. But what really interested Jim in the position is that instead of being in orthapedic trauma (which has the crazy hours), he would be working in their spine division (which is usually elective surgery and scheduled in advance). So - no more weekends / evenings! And more $$$! What a great combo! His new territory spans Northern Florida...the entire panhandle - all the way to Jacksonville, down to Orlando & Tampa. His biggest accounts are in Orlando / Jacksonville, so we have chosen to move there to Orlando. We go on our first house hunting trip in 2 weeks & are super excited!!!
As for my job, I will be doing the same thing with my company. It actually benefits both my company & us, as the flights are cheaper from Orlando to DC and are direct (no more delays & cancellations on connecting flights!!! WOOHOO!). Also - I will be working out of our home instead of going into an office every day! I am really excited about that for sure.
So that's the story. I wish I could have told you all myself! We'll keep you posted on the househunting & new contact info when we have it. We are hoping to be moved by January. And just in case you were wondering - Jim has already nixxed the idea of Disney World season tickets....
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Go Tigers!!!
Jim & I were extremely excited to find that our Missouri Tigers were going to be on National Television Saturday, Oct 6. Living in SEC country - we hardly ever get to see Big 12 games. If a Big 12 team is on TV, it is usually a South team (Texas teams or Oklahoma teams). SO....for Missouri to be playing Nebraska (arch rival!!) on ESPN Saturday night - WOOHOO!
Anyone that knows Missouri Tigers football history over the past 15 years or so knows they haven't been a GREAT team, but have become slightly better over the years, starting when I graduated. Since then, Missouri has invested in their athletic programs (read men's football/basketball) and definitely taken the facilities & program to the next level. Now, the football team has a covered practice field, new training facility and a much improved Faurot Field, including box seats & a jumbo tron. Another improvement to the team - QB Chase Daniel - what a stud!!!
Also over the past 15 years - the Tigers have always struggled in that BIG game, seeming to disappoint the Tiger Faithful Fans at least annually. Other things that don't help? Bad referees ( I know I know - we still can't forget) - that allow teams like Colorado to have 5 downs, and teams like Nebraska to have a completion for a TD from a kicked ball...illegal, not called). Nebraska went on to go undefeated that season & win the National Championship.
Back to my story....
We were SOOOO excited to watch the Tigers annihilate the Huskers on national TV! They killed them! It looked like they could score at will! The Huskers honestly did look flat, and played with no emotion...which also helped our cause. I thought that was crazy though, as the Tiger/Husker football rivalry has been heated as much as the KU/MU basketball rivalry. This is one game that usually both teams get up for.
Loved it loved it. Tigers start the season 5-0 for the second consecutive season & have a great chance at taking the Big 12 North, although Kansas looked impressive yesterday....
Anyone that knows Missouri Tigers football history over the past 15 years or so knows they haven't been a GREAT team, but have become slightly better over the years, starting when I graduated. Since then, Missouri has invested in their athletic programs (read men's football/basketball) and definitely taken the facilities & program to the next level. Now, the football team has a covered practice field, new training facility and a much improved Faurot Field, including box seats & a jumbo tron. Another improvement to the team - QB Chase Daniel - what a stud!!!
Also over the past 15 years - the Tigers have always struggled in that BIG game, seeming to disappoint the Tiger Faithful Fans at least annually. Other things that don't help? Bad referees ( I know I know - we still can't forget) - that allow teams like Colorado to have 5 downs, and teams like Nebraska to have a completion for a TD from a kicked ball...illegal, not called). Nebraska went on to go undefeated that season & win the National Championship.
Back to my story....
We were SOOOO excited to watch the Tigers annihilate the Huskers on national TV! They killed them! It looked like they could score at will! The Huskers honestly did look flat, and played with no emotion...which also helped our cause. I thought that was crazy though, as the Tiger/Husker football rivalry has been heated as much as the KU/MU basketball rivalry. This is one game that usually both teams get up for.
Loved it loved it. Tigers start the season 5-0 for the second consecutive season & have a great chance at taking the Big 12 North, although Kansas looked impressive yesterday....
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Back Home Again
LOVE LOVE LOVE cruises!!!! At least, I loved the first one we have ever been on! We will definitely cruise again - what a great way to vacation. Jim & I were worried that we wouldn't like all aspects of the cruise - especially not being able to be on land AT the resort location & do what we wanted to do. We were worried that we may feel trapped and/or bored while at sea on the ship. Never happened! There is always something going on that you want to do, and most of the time - there are multiple things available & you have to pick what you want to do! For instance, we were unable to attend the towel animal class & the kitchen galley tour because we were at an art auction. More on the art auction later!
We LOVED it & highly recommend it. The food was much better than I expected. The presentation & dining service was very nice! Below is what I had to eat ever evening at the late seating - appetizer, salad, entree & dessert:
Monday night - Chicken satay in peanut sauce, caesar salad, Filet Mignon, Chocolate melting cake (YUMMMMMMM)
Tuesday night - Cheddar/Broccoli soup, greek salad, Lobster & shrimp (2 entrees - OINK OINK), Chocolate melting cake (do you sense a theme)
Wednesday night - Pumpkin/squash soup, Mixed greens, Pan fried grouper in butter/lemon sauce, Chocolate melting cake
Thursday night - Lobster bisque, mixed green salad, Beef Wellington, Grand Marnier souffle
Friday night - French onion soup, caesar salad, chateubriand, neopolitan ice cream cake thingy with sponge cake & meringue?? Not sure about all that.
Lunches were also just as good. The days that we were at sea, we enjoyed an open seating lunch, which was like going to a restaurant, instead of dining from the buffet. Breakfast - same thing. The days that we were at port, we enjoyed the breakfast buffet and lunch at Mexican restaurants in port. Guacamole - YUM.
Needless to say - we ate WELL & only worked out the first day at sea. The second day in Cozumel probably burned a few calories as we went SCUBA diving (BEAUTIFUL). Other than that - we walked 5 flights of stairs multiple times during the day, so that counts - right?? Yeah, we are back on the fitness track, going to the gym & running, and eating right!!
I'll write more about the cruise itself in a later post. I had to document the food before I forgot! :)
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Vacation has Begun
Wow I have a wonderful husband!!! Jim booked me a spa afternoon yesterday at Serenity by the Sea at the Sandestin Hilton resort! HOW WONDERFUL! I got there around 11:30, got changed into my robe, and then sat in the lounge area with the other lucky ladies! I had an afternoon of luxury, beginning with a 50 minute massage (wonderful!), then on to a 50 minute facial (wonderful - except for the 'extraction' part - OUCH...and YUCK!). Next was my spa pedicure and manicure! What a day of pampering. I felt so special, especially when all of the workers there said things to me like "Wow, you have a special afternoon planned today here!" and "Your husband is a keeper" and "He must really love you to treat you to such a special day". And of course - I agreed with them all! What a sweetheart. He knows how stressed I have been at work, and all of the long hours I have been putting in. I love that he sees this and wants to make it better and do something to help me.
The spa afternoon was just what I needed to get destressed & start relaxing right away. We leave for our cruise on Monday! WOOHOO! I was supposed to be going to Gulf Shores to the beach today with my friends Jay & Sara (Jim is on call this weekend...for the LAST TIME! More on that later...) but because of the Tropical Depression or whatever it is - I didn't make the trip. It was nasty this morning, but is actually sunny now? Not sure what that means.
Anyway - we are starting to figure out what to pack for the trip. This is our first cruise, so we are really looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it is & probably will post a couple of pictures.
We're going to the gym now - so I'll write afterwards. Then I should be all caught up!! :)
The spa afternoon was just what I needed to get destressed & start relaxing right away. We leave for our cruise on Monday! WOOHOO! I was supposed to be going to Gulf Shores to the beach today with my friends Jay & Sara (Jim is on call this weekend...for the LAST TIME! More on that later...) but because of the Tropical Depression or whatever it is - I didn't make the trip. It was nasty this morning, but is actually sunny now? Not sure what that means.
Anyway - we are starting to figure out what to pack for the trip. This is our first cruise, so we are really looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it is & probably will post a couple of pictures.
We're going to the gym now - so I'll write afterwards. Then I should be all caught up!! :)
One job, Two jobs, Three jobs, Four
Work. I remember thinking back when I changed sectors that I would have less stress, more time to enjoy things I love & all of those other things. That has definitely not been the case!!
The sector I work in is split into 3 business groups. The business group I work in is split further into 2 operating units. I am the business manager for 1 of those operating units (which covers approximately 12 major programs, composed of multiple contracts in each program). In addition, I consolidate the financials and forecast and all other 'business group' issues. So that is really two jobs, as it will be split up in January when one of the other managers come back full-time (he is currently working on our ERP conversion - SAP - fulltime, so I am covering his responsibilities currently as well). So there are 3 of us managers, 2 working, 1 doing SAP conversion. Well....the other manager that covers the OTHER operating unit up & quite about a month ago. Literally, he gave no notice. He just walked in, handed over his badge & corporate American Express card & walked out. So now...I am doing his job too. So - I am 3 managers now. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of my employees quit about 2 weeks ago in a similar fashion. Just walked out one day. So I am also covering her responsibilities while we get her replacement up to speed. The only consolation? The two that quit were definitely two that needed to go. They were not happy in the environment - didn't really like the work and weren't really performing at all. So it is a bit painful in the interim, but long term, we will be a much stronger team.
So needless to say......I have been a bit overwhelmed!!!! I need a vacation...more on that next!
The sector I work in is split into 3 business groups. The business group I work in is split further into 2 operating units. I am the business manager for 1 of those operating units (which covers approximately 12 major programs, composed of multiple contracts in each program). In addition, I consolidate the financials and forecast and all other 'business group' issues. So that is really two jobs, as it will be split up in January when one of the other managers come back full-time (he is currently working on our ERP conversion - SAP - fulltime, so I am covering his responsibilities currently as well). So there are 3 of us managers, 2 working, 1 doing SAP conversion. Well....the other manager that covers the OTHER operating unit up & quite about a month ago. Literally, he gave no notice. He just walked in, handed over his badge & corporate American Express card & walked out. So now...I am doing his job too. So - I am 3 managers now. As if that wasn't bad enough, one of my employees quit about 2 weeks ago in a similar fashion. Just walked out one day. So I am also covering her responsibilities while we get her replacement up to speed. The only consolation? The two that quit were definitely two that needed to go. They were not happy in the environment - didn't really like the work and weren't really performing at all. So it is a bit painful in the interim, but long term, we will be a much stronger team.
So needless to say......I have been a bit overwhelmed!!!! I need a vacation...more on that next!
Life Lessons at the Airport
Since we moved to Destin and I switched sectors within Northrop Grumman, I have been spending an average of 2 weeks per month in DC. Traveling that much has meant lots of time in airports. Literally - after flying round trip from FL to DC about 12 times since May & a trip back home to Missouri wedged in there, I have only had an on-time trip twice...and one of those was when I went home to MO. I am at least 1 1/2 delayed each trip which gets incredibly old.
There really are a couple of good things about traveling, but don't outweigh the sacrifices of traveling. First, the benefits. After traveling just since mid-May thru mid-September, I am already a Gold Marriotts member and a Silver Delta flyer. So that means free upgrades and other 'perks' now when I travel. In fact, i already have enough points for a free 5 night stay at Park City Utah Marriott Spa resort that hopefully Jim & I will take advantage of this winter (we have invited my brother to come with us for part of the trip!). And by the way - I will be able to fly there for free.
BUT....I would 110% rather be here with Jim & my fuzzy boys, Truman & Cosmo, any day of the week than earning 'free stuff' from traveling. I really miss Jim when I am away & we talk quite often during the day when I can. Right now though, this situation is the best for us both, as Northrop was awesome to work out a position that would allow me to stay with the company. In addition, the flexibility of my job has been HUGE when it came to Jim & his career opportunities (more on that later). So we have been very blessed & will enjoy the 'perks' that come with my travels! Don't get me wrong - it will be awesome to enjoy free vacations! :)
Ok - so back to the original point of this post....Life Lessons at the Airport. I hope I can remember some of the stuff that I have observed over the summer. I have seen people at their worst, but also people at their best.
People at their best:
1 - there was a huge long line at the Burger King & a gentleman walking up to the cashier realized he didn't have the cash (his wife did - at the end of the terminal at their gate). A woman that was waiting for her food offered to buy him his dinner. How unselfish!? "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35. That display of giving really struck a chord with me that day.
2 - I had a horrible horrible flight experience one day trying to get back to Destin. We were literally 3 hours delayed (was 10 pm), & finally got to board. We taxied out to the runway, and were at the end getting ready to take off, when we instead went back to the back of the taxi line because there was weather brewing. We waited in line there another 20 minutes, and then the pilot came on & said - this flight has been cancelled because the crew will be timed out by the time we take off. So here I am with no luggage at 11:30 pm in Atlanta. How is this an example of people at their best you ask? I got a shuttle to the airport Marriott for the night. The guy that checked me in at the hotel asked me how I was & I said "fine". Then I smiled & said, actually - I just lied to you - I have had a horrible night!! I told him a quick version of the story with a chuckle, since there is really no use getting upset about it. He gave me one of their best rooms on the concierge level, and also provided me a coupon for a free Starbucks in the morning. May not seem like a big deal to you all reading this, but after the night I had had - I thought it was such a neat gesture & I appreciated it very much.
3 - Most people are just really polite. I have talked to so many fun people on flights, waiting while delayed, etc. I have met some fun people! It's always fun to hear their stories and also listen to their horror travel stories too!
People at their worst:
1 - See #2 above. The guy sitting next to me on this hellish flight called the Delta line and SCREAMED at them and about how horrible Delta was, blah blah blah. Very very ugly. However.....this poor guy had just missed his daughter's 15th birthday party. He had switched to an earlier flight to make it home in time for it. The earlier flight was the one I was on that never made it. His original flight left on time & it would have meant he would have made the party. The kicker? He even paid $50 switch fee to change flights. I can understand his frustration...but let this be a lesson on how to handle tough situations!
2 - In general, there is always a "spillover" neighbor in the airplane. You know - the guy/gal who really should have 2 seats, but doesn't & 'spills over' into your seat! I hate that. Also - I have decided I must have some proximity issues, because I can't stand when people get all up in my business in lines at airports. There is no reason you (or your stuff) should ever touch me in line! Back off! I have literally been run into or luggage pounded into my legs, purses banging into me, etc. People everywhere....please control yourself & don't take that LAST step you take when standing in line. Stop one step sooner....we'll all be happier.
See - I told you I had lots to say. I haven't even begun to catch up with the blogs. Today is going to be a busy, finger cramping day.
There really are a couple of good things about traveling, but don't outweigh the sacrifices of traveling. First, the benefits. After traveling just since mid-May thru mid-September, I am already a Gold Marriotts member and a Silver Delta flyer. So that means free upgrades and other 'perks' now when I travel. In fact, i already have enough points for a free 5 night stay at Park City Utah Marriott Spa resort that hopefully Jim & I will take advantage of this winter (we have invited my brother to come with us for part of the trip!). And by the way - I will be able to fly there for free.
BUT....I would 110% rather be here with Jim & my fuzzy boys, Truman & Cosmo, any day of the week than earning 'free stuff' from traveling. I really miss Jim when I am away & we talk quite often during the day when I can. Right now though, this situation is the best for us both, as Northrop was awesome to work out a position that would allow me to stay with the company. In addition, the flexibility of my job has been HUGE when it came to Jim & his career opportunities (more on that later). So we have been very blessed & will enjoy the 'perks' that come with my travels! Don't get me wrong - it will be awesome to enjoy free vacations! :)
Ok - so back to the original point of this post....Life Lessons at the Airport. I hope I can remember some of the stuff that I have observed over the summer. I have seen people at their worst, but also people at their best.
People at their best:
1 - there was a huge long line at the Burger King & a gentleman walking up to the cashier realized he didn't have the cash (his wife did - at the end of the terminal at their gate). A woman that was waiting for her food offered to buy him his dinner. How unselfish!? "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35. That display of giving really struck a chord with me that day.
2 - I had a horrible horrible flight experience one day trying to get back to Destin. We were literally 3 hours delayed (was 10 pm), & finally got to board. We taxied out to the runway, and were at the end getting ready to take off, when we instead went back to the back of the taxi line because there was weather brewing. We waited in line there another 20 minutes, and then the pilot came on & said - this flight has been cancelled because the crew will be timed out by the time we take off. So here I am with no luggage at 11:30 pm in Atlanta. How is this an example of people at their best you ask? I got a shuttle to the airport Marriott for the night. The guy that checked me in at the hotel asked me how I was & I said "fine". Then I smiled & said, actually - I just lied to you - I have had a horrible night!! I told him a quick version of the story with a chuckle, since there is really no use getting upset about it. He gave me one of their best rooms on the concierge level, and also provided me a coupon for a free Starbucks in the morning. May not seem like a big deal to you all reading this, but after the night I had had - I thought it was such a neat gesture & I appreciated it very much.
3 - Most people are just really polite. I have talked to so many fun people on flights, waiting while delayed, etc. I have met some fun people! It's always fun to hear their stories and also listen to their horror travel stories too!
People at their worst:
1 - See #2 above. The guy sitting next to me on this hellish flight called the Delta line and SCREAMED at them and about how horrible Delta was, blah blah blah. Very very ugly. However.....this poor guy had just missed his daughter's 15th birthday party. He had switched to an earlier flight to make it home in time for it. The earlier flight was the one I was on that never made it. His original flight left on time & it would have meant he would have made the party. The kicker? He even paid $50 switch fee to change flights. I can understand his frustration...but let this be a lesson on how to handle tough situations!
2 - In general, there is always a "spillover" neighbor in the airplane. You know - the guy/gal who really should have 2 seats, but doesn't & 'spills over' into your seat! I hate that. Also - I have decided I must have some proximity issues, because I can't stand when people get all up in my business in lines at airports. There is no reason you (or your stuff) should ever touch me in line! Back off! I have literally been run into or luggage pounded into my legs, purses banging into me, etc. People everywhere....please control yourself & don't take that LAST step you take when standing in line. Stop one step sooner....we'll all be happier.
See - I told you I had lots to say. I haven't even begun to catch up with the blogs. Today is going to be a busy, finger cramping day.
Inspiration
So apparently I have taken the summer off from blogging. But - Jim did too! And he has recently started back up, and I really enjoy reading what he has to say to everyone, so I am inspired to start writing again!
I may be posting some really random stuff at first, to get you caught up on what has been going on. So bear with me!
I may be posting some really random stuff at first, to get you caught up on what has been going on. So bear with me!
Monday, May 28, 2007
A memorable Memorial Day weekend
I am officially living in Destin now. I traveled to DC the past 2 weeks, so Jim & I still hadn't spent more than 4 days in a row together since March!! So we are definitely enjoying each other & getting settled in our new place.
The weekend started with us planning on settling a room per day. So Sunday started with the living room. It is now liveable & we now can watch movies on our TV that is hooked up! We have not had a TV in Destin since March, so that is huge. We actually have enjoyed NOT having a tv. Then today, we settled the master bedroom. We moved a bunch of furniture around from where the movers put it & then unpacked a bunch of boxes. The bad part is that we are having to time our box dumping with the dumpster dumping! I guess it would make more sense if we broke the boxes down... :)
We are cooking some yummy chicken for supper....chicken quarters marinated in a concoction including fresh lemon juice, lemon rind, honey, soy sauce & peanut butter. Then you coat the marinated chicken in chopped honey roasted peanuts, breadcrumbs, garlic & salt/crushed red pepper. I'll let you know how it is...
Gotta get going - the beeper just beeped....
The weekend started with us planning on settling a room per day. So Sunday started with the living room. It is now liveable & we now can watch movies on our TV that is hooked up! We have not had a TV in Destin since March, so that is huge. We actually have enjoyed NOT having a tv. Then today, we settled the master bedroom. We moved a bunch of furniture around from where the movers put it & then unpacked a bunch of boxes. The bad part is that we are having to time our box dumping with the dumpster dumping! I guess it would make more sense if we broke the boxes down... :)
We are cooking some yummy chicken for supper....chicken quarters marinated in a concoction including fresh lemon juice, lemon rind, honey, soy sauce & peanut butter. Then you coat the marinated chicken in chopped honey roasted peanuts, breadcrumbs, garlic & salt/crushed red pepper. I'll let you know how it is...
Gotta get going - the beeper just beeped....
Sunday, May 13, 2007
A Life Changing Week
I really have just been a blubbering chick all week....
I just completed my last week of work in Pascagoula, MS. As I have mentioned before, I am transferring sectors as Jim & I have moved to Destin, FL. This past week has really made me stop & make a few observations:
* I need to smell the roses ALL of the time, not just when I realize that I am moving from the rose garden....
- It really wasn't until I was facing saying my goodbyes to people that I have gotten to know over the past 3 years just how close I had become to so many! I look back on these 3 years and I am saddened to think that I missed out on this realization while I was there. Going forward, I am going to make an effort to appreciate people and appreciate friendships all along, not just when I am faced with leaving them.
* Never think that your actions and attitude don't have an impact on people.
- One thing I tried to do during my tenure in Mississippi was to live for God and let my actions/attitude show that. Believe me, I had many days of failing at this, but with the help of God, had other days when people asked 'why are you so happy all of the time'? What a wonderful question to be asked, and how wonderful is it to be able to respond 'what do I have not to be happy about?' I had many conversations with co-workers about my faith and what it means to me. I really believe that I was put there for that very reason. How neat it was to find out that those that meant so much to me there, also felt the same way about me and my friendship. SO many tears shed that last day as I said my goodbyes & exchanged those hugs!!
* A great friend will not always be your same age or have the same experiences.
- One of my very best friends at work was the manager that worked for me. Sorry CM, but he was old enough to be my dad. :) The neat thing about our relationship was that we worked so well together professionally - we just clicked. I loved how he dealt with his staff and I also loved how we were able to work so well together to accomplish mutual goals on our program. But even more importantly than that - I learned so much from him about just being a GOOD person. He always carried himself with such dignity and class - he has the kindest, gentlest heart, with so much compassion and decency to EVERYONE. He and his wife became such good friends to Jim & myself - they'll never really know how much they have meant to me over this past year when I really got to know them. I will definitely miss them!!
* I can live in chaos!
- Because we really started to move about 1 1/2 months ago...I have basically been a nomad for this entire time. We have had the house on the market for a month, so I have not really been 'living' in the house. I have been doing as little as possible there so I didn't mess it up! I hardly cooked and basically did nothing more than sleep & get ready there during the week. On Thur nights, I would drive to Destin to stay the weekend at our NEW place, which is also chaos! When we moved Jim over here, we took just a few essentials like his office stuff, a bed (the spare one) and 2 lawn chairs to serve ALL purposes, inluding beach chairs. We took one of everything for the kitchen so he could cook during the weeks and we could cook during the weekends. But needless to say - there have been boxes and tons of Jim's medical equipment being shipped here almost daily - and nowhere for us to put anything because of a lack of furniture/storage. Add on top of this, I was at the house in Mobile on Friday for the movers to pack/move our stuff. So I cleaned the whole place again when they were finished and drove to Destin that night. I leave for Washington DC on Monday morning for my new job. The movers will deliver all of our stuff on Tuesday, so I will come home on Friday back to a whole new level of chaos - and boxes everywhere!! The weekend will be spent unpacking, and then back to DC for another week. So I have basically felt like I didn't have a *settled* home or environment for about 2 months. I am ready to "nest"!! Once things are back to normal, we can start accepting visitors! As much as I hate to admit it, this past couple of months has really made me realize that I really am much more of a creature of habit and order than Jim. He is absolutely fine with living in complete disarray - it hasn't phased him! I just crave getting it all back in order and going from there.
* Bring sunblock to lunch- Yes, you can get sunburned having lunch with a friend on a Saturday afternoon. Jim & I met a friend for lunch and both of us have the bright red faces to prove it.
All in all, it was a week I will never forget - moments of goodbyes that will forever be etched in my memory. Shared tears, and exchanges of 'please keep in touch' and MEANING it. I felt so loved this past week, with lots of lunches, happy hours, food days and cakes. Plaques and handshakes, embarassing speeches from my bosses, but accepting the compliments with humility. Pictures and toasts, packing the boxes - sending out the new address and contact information, and leaving our first house, now empty - turning the lights off for the last time. Walking around the house with memories just flooding my head of all the great times Jim & I shared there both alone and with loved ones.
Now - I turn my attention to our exciting present and future in a new place, making new friends and new routines - working new jobs with new coworkers and contacts. It has been a great ride! Now...I am ready to get off the roller coaster and get settled though! :)
I just completed my last week of work in Pascagoula, MS. As I have mentioned before, I am transferring sectors as Jim & I have moved to Destin, FL. This past week has really made me stop & make a few observations:
* I need to smell the roses ALL of the time, not just when I realize that I am moving from the rose garden....
- It really wasn't until I was facing saying my goodbyes to people that I have gotten to know over the past 3 years just how close I had become to so many! I look back on these 3 years and I am saddened to think that I missed out on this realization while I was there. Going forward, I am going to make an effort to appreciate people and appreciate friendships all along, not just when I am faced with leaving them.
* Never think that your actions and attitude don't have an impact on people.
- One thing I tried to do during my tenure in Mississippi was to live for God and let my actions/attitude show that. Believe me, I had many days of failing at this, but with the help of God, had other days when people asked 'why are you so happy all of the time'? What a wonderful question to be asked, and how wonderful is it to be able to respond 'what do I have not to be happy about?' I had many conversations with co-workers about my faith and what it means to me. I really believe that I was put there for that very reason. How neat it was to find out that those that meant so much to me there, also felt the same way about me and my friendship. SO many tears shed that last day as I said my goodbyes & exchanged those hugs!!
* A great friend will not always be your same age or have the same experiences.
- One of my very best friends at work was the manager that worked for me. Sorry CM, but he was old enough to be my dad. :) The neat thing about our relationship was that we worked so well together professionally - we just clicked. I loved how he dealt with his staff and I also loved how we were able to work so well together to accomplish mutual goals on our program. But even more importantly than that - I learned so much from him about just being a GOOD person. He always carried himself with such dignity and class - he has the kindest, gentlest heart, with so much compassion and decency to EVERYONE. He and his wife became such good friends to Jim & myself - they'll never really know how much they have meant to me over this past year when I really got to know them. I will definitely miss them!!
* I can live in chaos!
- Because we really started to move about 1 1/2 months ago...I have basically been a nomad for this entire time. We have had the house on the market for a month, so I have not really been 'living' in the house. I have been doing as little as possible there so I didn't mess it up! I hardly cooked and basically did nothing more than sleep & get ready there during the week. On Thur nights, I would drive to Destin to stay the weekend at our NEW place, which is also chaos! When we moved Jim over here, we took just a few essentials like his office stuff, a bed (the spare one) and 2 lawn chairs to serve ALL purposes, inluding beach chairs. We took one of everything for the kitchen so he could cook during the weeks and we could cook during the weekends. But needless to say - there have been boxes and tons of Jim's medical equipment being shipped here almost daily - and nowhere for us to put anything because of a lack of furniture/storage. Add on top of this, I was at the house in Mobile on Friday for the movers to pack/move our stuff. So I cleaned the whole place again when they were finished and drove to Destin that night. I leave for Washington DC on Monday morning for my new job. The movers will deliver all of our stuff on Tuesday, so I will come home on Friday back to a whole new level of chaos - and boxes everywhere!! The weekend will be spent unpacking, and then back to DC for another week. So I have basically felt like I didn't have a *settled* home or environment for about 2 months. I am ready to "nest"!! Once things are back to normal, we can start accepting visitors! As much as I hate to admit it, this past couple of months has really made me realize that I really am much more of a creature of habit and order than Jim. He is absolutely fine with living in complete disarray - it hasn't phased him! I just crave getting it all back in order and going from there.
* Bring sunblock to lunch- Yes, you can get sunburned having lunch with a friend on a Saturday afternoon. Jim & I met a friend for lunch and both of us have the bright red faces to prove it.
All in all, it was a week I will never forget - moments of goodbyes that will forever be etched in my memory. Shared tears, and exchanges of 'please keep in touch' and MEANING it. I felt so loved this past week, with lots of lunches, happy hours, food days and cakes. Plaques and handshakes, embarassing speeches from my bosses, but accepting the compliments with humility. Pictures and toasts, packing the boxes - sending out the new address and contact information, and leaving our first house, now empty - turning the lights off for the last time. Walking around the house with memories just flooding my head of all the great times Jim & I shared there both alone and with loved ones.
Now - I turn my attention to our exciting present and future in a new place, making new friends and new routines - working new jobs with new coworkers and contacts. It has been a great ride! Now...I am ready to get off the roller coaster and get settled though! :)
Hilton Head Island & a Wedding
Ahhh - how wonderful it is to see old friends! Isn't it crazy how you just don't realize how much you miss someone until you see them again?? It's like we never were apart! Jim was able to join me at the last minute to make the trek to Hilton Head Island for a wedding - Scott, one of my closest & dearest friends from the Washington University MBA program. Scott was in my cohort group, which were assigned randomly at the beginning of the program. Nothing is by chance of course, and we grew to be very close friends during this 3 years, and helped each other through some of the hardest & happiest times in each of our lives during that time. He is truly one-of-a-kind & I wish he & his new bride, Rebecca, all the best!! You both looked beautiful and I am so glad we were there to share that special day.
The picture above is the rest of the Wash U crew - and their significant others, who we also got to know during the 3 year grad school program. We rented a 4-bed condo and had a BLAST hanging out the entire weekend together. The girls hit the spa on Friday morning & then to lunch/shop, and the boys hit the links - we met up later that day for some pool-side sun and some naps. This is a great group of people...lots of tears shed on the wedding day, as my emotions got the best of me! I just miss and love these people so much!!! I thank God for such good friends!!
Because others felt the same way I did apparently....we have decided to plan an annual trip together, 5 of us couples, 4 of which are in the picture + the bride/groom that were not in the pic. Jim & I are first up to plan - gotta love having a last name at the beginning of the alphabet! The one thing we are going to have to consider when planning is places that are kid-friendly - as some people's families are beginning to expand (see pic!) and some already have (Matt/Anne). Jim & I won't be bringing our 2 fuzzy sons though...
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Enjoying the simple things
Jim & I are loving Destin. I leave from work on Thursday nights and head straight to Destin. On Friday, Jim had a couple of cases to cover, so I went & had my oil changed at my new VW dealership & got some new windshield wipers (down from $70 to $30!!!). We met up at our new gym - got our workout on - and then headed home to.....GO TO THE BEACH! What a wonderful Friday afternoon, don't you think? We packed up a small cooler, grabbed some towels and our living room furniture (lawn chairs) and headed to the beach. We drove all of about 5 minutes to get there, because we chose to head to the Boardwalk, which is on the East side of Fort Walton Beach. There must be a sand volleyball tourney going on there this weekend, as there were tons of nets up & lots of teams practicing.
So we picked the perfect spot on the beach, laid out the towel & started relaxing when...the loudest, foulest, beach whalest, hair bleached group of people started carrying on. Talk about REDNECK. Unbelievable. The crazy part about it was they were talking about this drama going on in some couple's life, along with a miriad of colorful language to appropriately describe the situation of course. Then, we heard one of the girls say, Momma it has been SO long since I got drunk with her! Jim & I looked at each other in shock. We reran our tapes and thought about all of the conversation we had heard them discussing....now considering that we found out her PARENT was there with her!! What a sad sad thing.
Oh yeah - I need to tell you - we have found the PERFECT snack....Blue Diamond BOLD almonds. That's right - they are addictive. Our favorite flavors are Maui Onion & Garlic, and Wasabi / Soy Sauce. They are YUM! We are at about 2 cans per week.....we might have to start therapy.
So we picked the perfect spot on the beach, laid out the towel & started relaxing when...the loudest, foulest, beach whalest, hair bleached group of people started carrying on. Talk about REDNECK. Unbelievable. The crazy part about it was they were talking about this drama going on in some couple's life, along with a miriad of colorful language to appropriately describe the situation of course. Then, we heard one of the girls say, Momma it has been SO long since I got drunk with her! Jim & I looked at each other in shock. We reran our tapes and thought about all of the conversation we had heard them discussing....now considering that we found out her PARENT was there with her!! What a sad sad thing.
Oh yeah - I need to tell you - we have found the PERFECT snack....Blue Diamond BOLD almonds. That's right - they are addictive. Our favorite flavors are Maui Onion & Garlic, and Wasabi / Soy Sauce. They are YUM! We are at about 2 cans per week.....we might have to start therapy.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Transitions
If any of you that read my blog also read Jim's...you'll know that we have relocated to Destin, FL! He was a little ahead of me in announcing this great news, as his job transition and announcing happened much faster than mine did.
Jim was recently promoted and was offered his own territory...Fort Walton Beach (I know you feel SOOO sorry for us to have to move there). Although I have a great situation at my company, this job opportunity for Jim and a move to FL was the best option for the two of us for many reasons. We took a leap of faith, since it was obvious to us that God has created this opportunity for us to move and we had to commit before I really knew what my future job situation had in store for me. Thankfully, that has also worked out very well - so we are set! My company was willing to let me work remotely from Destin, FL and support some of our Wash DC operations and some work we have in California. They have been great to work with me and I appreciate their assistance in helping me stay with the same company.
We have already moved Jim to a townhouse that we are renting for the year. We are about 2 blocks from the water...a harbor, not necessarily the actual beach. We are very close to the Destin Bridge and just North of AJs. We already LOVE it! I am traveling back & forth on the weekends, leaving from work on Thursday nights & driving to the new home in Destin, and driving to work EARLY on Monday mornings straight to Pascagoula, MS. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive. My official transition date is June 1, so I'll likely be setting up the rest of the move the week prior. Right now, we're living on lawn chairs & a bed in Destin!
We just listed our house this week...I cleaned spots of that house last week that I don't think I had EVER cleaned (not that I am proud of that!!). But it really looks great & I am praying that it sells fast. Two house payments is just not that fun.
This weekend, we are already getting together with friends in Destin! A couple that we know from Mobile, AL are in town this week vacationing so we are headed to their condo tonight to cook out. We'd offer for them to come here instead, but see paragraph above for the lack of seating and entertainment establishment!!
I know this is long - but a lot has happened in the past month! We are thankful for the direction our lives are taking us and are so excited! Please come visit! We'll have more furniture here in about a month! :)
Jim was recently promoted and was offered his own territory...Fort Walton Beach (I know you feel SOOO sorry for us to have to move there). Although I have a great situation at my company, this job opportunity for Jim and a move to FL was the best option for the two of us for many reasons. We took a leap of faith, since it was obvious to us that God has created this opportunity for us to move and we had to commit before I really knew what my future job situation had in store for me. Thankfully, that has also worked out very well - so we are set! My company was willing to let me work remotely from Destin, FL and support some of our Wash DC operations and some work we have in California. They have been great to work with me and I appreciate their assistance in helping me stay with the same company.
We have already moved Jim to a townhouse that we are renting for the year. We are about 2 blocks from the water...a harbor, not necessarily the actual beach. We are very close to the Destin Bridge and just North of AJs. We already LOVE it! I am traveling back & forth on the weekends, leaving from work on Thursday nights & driving to the new home in Destin, and driving to work EARLY on Monday mornings straight to Pascagoula, MS. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive. My official transition date is June 1, so I'll likely be setting up the rest of the move the week prior. Right now, we're living on lawn chairs & a bed in Destin!
We just listed our house this week...I cleaned spots of that house last week that I don't think I had EVER cleaned (not that I am proud of that!!). But it really looks great & I am praying that it sells fast. Two house payments is just not that fun.
This weekend, we are already getting together with friends in Destin! A couple that we know from Mobile, AL are in town this week vacationing so we are headed to their condo tonight to cook out. We'd offer for them to come here instead, but see paragraph above for the lack of seating and entertainment establishment!!
I know this is long - but a lot has happened in the past month! We are thankful for the direction our lives are taking us and are so excited! Please come visit! We'll have more furniture here in about a month! :)
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
The kitties are fine
I'm sure you all have been on the edge of your seats for a month since I last posted about our ill kitty boys! Rest assured, they are now completely fine. Although, Cosmo is now a food snob & will only consume canned wet food. I think it was all a ploy for us to spoil him with the good stuff!
On another note - Jim & I raced in the Azalea Trail Run in Mobile on March 24. The weather was beautiful and so were the azaleas! I just love that 5 or 6 days when they are in full bloom. There is truly nothing like it. Both of us bested our 10k times, which is always a good thing. I was worried I would have a bad time because I had been sick the whole week prior (Southern allergies during the Spring are GREAT), and hadn't run more than 4 miles in a couple of weeks. But I knocked out the 10k in 57:04 (or 9:11 pace). I finished 54th out of 192 in my age group (30-34...YES I am in my thirties!!!)...not too shabby!
We haven't done a great job at preparing for the marathon & 1/2 marathon in Nashville on April 28. Things have been a bit busy in our lives lately...more on that in a later post!
On another note - Jim & I raced in the Azalea Trail Run in Mobile on March 24. The weather was beautiful and so were the azaleas! I just love that 5 or 6 days when they are in full bloom. There is truly nothing like it. Both of us bested our 10k times, which is always a good thing. I was worried I would have a bad time because I had been sick the whole week prior (Southern allergies during the Spring are GREAT), and hadn't run more than 4 miles in a couple of weeks. But I knocked out the 10k in 57:04 (or 9:11 pace). I finished 54th out of 192 in my age group (30-34...YES I am in my thirties!!!)...not too shabby!
We haven't done a great job at preparing for the marathon & 1/2 marathon in Nashville on April 28. Things have been a bit busy in our lives lately...more on that in a later post!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Our Fuzzy Son
I had taken Cosmo, the original fuzzy son, to the vet for his annual checkup no more than one month ago. At the appointment, he had a clean bill of health, everything was normal & he received the annual vaccines and we went on our way.
After that, we noticed that Cosmo seemed to be getting thinner. The food didn't seem to be disappearing as fast. We started getting very concerned, especially when he stopped grooming himself. Cosmo has always been a bit pretentious with his grooming...he took great pride in his appearance! So for him to stop grooming really was a red flag that something wasn't quite right.
I took the day off work today to recoup from the long trip to St. Louis and called to see if Cosmo could go into the vet for a checkup. Thankfully, they were able to get him in this morning. Imagine how it felt to hear that your baby had lost about 1 1/2 lbs in a month!! :-( The vet did compliment Jim & I on our parenting skills...they said it was commendable that we had noticed that weight loss so soon. Cosmo's heart and lungs sounded fine, and he didn't have a temperature. So from the outside, everything looks ok. But...because the outside looks ok, it seems that Cosmo has something else wrong with him, the vet is sure of it. So Cosmo is staying for a few days at the hospital so they can do the complete checkup on him, bloodwork and all. It was SO HARD for me to have them take Cosmo from me! Our kitty boys are our children, seriously! So through tears I told Cozy goodbye and then tried to call Jim. When Jim called me back, I was a blubbering mess, but Jim does such a good job at calming me down. We're supposed to find out something either tomorrow or Wed, so there is really no reason for me to worry until then. The vet did say that it is very possible that we caught the issue early, whatever it is.
So please pray for our fuzzy son! We will be!!!
A New Life Begins!
This past weekend, Jim & I traveled to St. Louis for a wedding that I was a bridesmaid in. Everything was beautiful, K did a great job planning 95% of it herself, while her now husband was traveling for work. It was a good time, although the drive was long, but worth it of course!!
One great thing about friends getting married is the opportunity to hang out with all of one's OTHER friends! Jim & I received wonderful hospitality from N & B for the weekend....MUCH better than staying at a hotel! They are so fun to be around and hang out with - we always have so much fun with them! We truly appreciate how real they are, and how much we have in common with them. They are so happy together - and N being happy makes ME happy!
It was also great to see J & R there! J is a crazy lady - SO MUCH FUN! Back in my single days when all of us girls went out dancing together, she was one of my favorite dancing partners. When she was out with us, it was guaranteed that we would all have a good time. She is one of those people that would do anything for a friend, and has really been there for me through some rough times. There is one thing for certain...she'll always be honest with you & she'll tell you how it really is. I do respect that about her. Seeing her made me realize how much I miss her. We got to do some dancing at the reception & I have some great pics to show for it! :)
Some details about the wedding....the priest forgot to say "You may now kiss the bride". How does that happen?! Talk about a weird ending to a wedding! He redeemed himself at the reception though, where he announced the error and said the famous line. The salads at the reception were awesome...spring mix, with sun dried tomatoes and pistachios, with an orange-ginger/sesame dressing. Interesting & flavorful! The bridesmaid dresses were strapless, floor-length, black dresses and were beautiful. All of us have the same body-type, so that helps a bride when picking out dresses that will flatter all! Of course, K looked gorgeous, just like we knew she would!!
I have been friends with K for about 12 years now, and love her to pieces. I just want nothing more for her to be happy. So to the husband in her life....I know where you live! Treat her like the queen that she is or I will hunt you down! :)
K - Love you, you looked beautiful. Thank you so much for having me be a part of the most special day in your life. I'll treasure it forever! Have fun on the honeymoon, I want to hear all about it when you get back! (Ok...not ALL about it...just the PG version)
One great thing about friends getting married is the opportunity to hang out with all of one's OTHER friends! Jim & I received wonderful hospitality from N & B for the weekend....MUCH better than staying at a hotel! They are so fun to be around and hang out with - we always have so much fun with them! We truly appreciate how real they are, and how much we have in common with them. They are so happy together - and N being happy makes ME happy!
It was also great to see J & R there! J is a crazy lady - SO MUCH FUN! Back in my single days when all of us girls went out dancing together, she was one of my favorite dancing partners. When she was out with us, it was guaranteed that we would all have a good time. She is one of those people that would do anything for a friend, and has really been there for me through some rough times. There is one thing for certain...she'll always be honest with you & she'll tell you how it really is. I do respect that about her. Seeing her made me realize how much I miss her. We got to do some dancing at the reception & I have some great pics to show for it! :)
Some details about the wedding....the priest forgot to say "You may now kiss the bride". How does that happen?! Talk about a weird ending to a wedding! He redeemed himself at the reception though, where he announced the error and said the famous line. The salads at the reception were awesome...spring mix, with sun dried tomatoes and pistachios, with an orange-ginger/sesame dressing. Interesting & flavorful! The bridesmaid dresses were strapless, floor-length, black dresses and were beautiful. All of us have the same body-type, so that helps a bride when picking out dresses that will flatter all! Of course, K looked gorgeous, just like we knew she would!!
I have been friends with K for about 12 years now, and love her to pieces. I just want nothing more for her to be happy. So to the husband in her life....I know where you live! Treat her like the queen that she is or I will hunt you down! :)
K - Love you, you looked beautiful. Thank you so much for having me be a part of the most special day in your life. I'll treasure it forever! Have fun on the honeymoon, I want to hear all about it when you get back! (Ok...not ALL about it...just the PG version)
Southern California....a Different Country?
Last weekend, I traveled to LA for a one-day meeting. Talk about a different lifestyle! I have been to Los Angeles quite a few times, but I don't think I had ever really noticed just how different the people are there.
While in LA, I made a mental list of why I wouldn't really fit the "Southern Cal" bill....
1 - Everything on (or in) my body is real
2 - I couldn't go swimming in the Pacific while outside temp is 70 and who knows how cold the water is!
3 - All that 'bling' wouldn't look right on me
4 - I am not a big fan of sitting in 6 lanes of traffic for hours at a time
5 - I refuse to wear bug shields on my face and call them sunglasses
These are just a few...I am sure that if I had spent even more time there, I would have a longer list.
ps - have you ever noticed how people out there call the interstates or major freeways "The 405" or "The PCH", etc? Why is it not I405? Hmmm...
While in LA, I made a mental list of why I wouldn't really fit the "Southern Cal" bill....
1 - Everything on (or in) my body is real
2 - I couldn't go swimming in the Pacific while outside temp is 70 and who knows how cold the water is!
3 - All that 'bling' wouldn't look right on me
4 - I am not a big fan of sitting in 6 lanes of traffic for hours at a time
5 - I refuse to wear bug shields on my face and call them sunglasses
These are just a few...I am sure that if I had spent even more time there, I would have a longer list.
ps - have you ever noticed how people out there call the interstates or major freeways "The 405" or "The PCH", etc? Why is it not I405? Hmmm...
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Is it really Monday tomorrow?
Ahhhhh Sunday.
Love Sundays. Unfortunately, when the alarm went off this morning to get up & get ready to go to church, I had the worst headache ever. I actually thought I was getting sick. I had a little bit of a tickle in my throat last night, and then when I woke up with my entire right side of my face plugged up. I also had a terrible sinus headache to boot. Needless to say, I took some Dayquil and tried to go back to sleep. I absolutely hate to miss church - I feel like my whole week is just a bit off when we aren't there on Sunday mornings. We have only actually skipped once or twice? since we started going to our church, back in 2004. We love it and are so blessed to have found such a great church home.
So I took the Dayquil & ate some breakfast, laid back down & felt quite a bit better by 10 am or so. As you know, Jim & I are training for a run in Nashville the last weekend of April. I am only running the 1/2 marathon (don't need to do the whole thing again!!) and Jim is training for the whole. I run the long runs with him on the weekends. This was the first weekend that the scheduled long training run was probably longer than I need to run, given that I am only training for the half. Jim was scheduled for 15 miles today. I thought I would try to run it with him, or at least 14 of them. However, 12 was plenty for me today. I was happy with that - and we ran quite a quick clip for a training run. We have quite the set up in our driveway on long run weekends...I have tissues, chapstick, water & PowerGels laying there for me, at 4 mile increments. We have a 4 mile loop we run in our neighborhood - so we take a quick 20 seconds every 4 miles to rehydrate & I lube up the lips. We will probably start putting some water at the 2 mile turnaround point too - 4 miles is just too long to run without some water.
After running my 12 miles - I tried 2 new recipes & both were a success! I roasted a whole chicken (my first time cooking a whole chicken! yes - I remembered to take out the neck & "special parts"). The chicken was marinated in worcestshire, dry mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. YUM!!!! I ate a leg, but the rest is for dinner this week. The other recipe I tried was an orange-glazed pork tenderloin. ALSO a success! This is what we had for dinner tonight after coming home from church. The pork was first sprinkled with salt/pepper, then I brushed an orange marmalade, creole mustard & rosemary marinade over it. Once that is baked fully, I pulled the pork out, poured the juices into a pan & made a nice gravy with the orange glaze that was still in the pan. YUM!!! We are going to eat well this week.
Jim is at a case right now - when we were on our way to church tonight, he got paged for a case beginning at 7, but was bumped to 8 due to another emergency. He just called & will be on his way home soon after he gets the instruments cleaned. All in a days work!!
I hope this week goes fast - I am so looking forward to going to St. Louis in a couple of weeks for K's wedding!! I can't wait to share her special day & I can't wait to hang out with N & B! Hopefully we will make it back to STL in time for me to try to hook up with some old friends from my old job. it would be great to see them....it isn't until I see them again that I realize just how much I miss them all!!
My fingers hurt....gotta go to bed! :)
Love Sundays. Unfortunately, when the alarm went off this morning to get up & get ready to go to church, I had the worst headache ever. I actually thought I was getting sick. I had a little bit of a tickle in my throat last night, and then when I woke up with my entire right side of my face plugged up. I also had a terrible sinus headache to boot. Needless to say, I took some Dayquil and tried to go back to sleep. I absolutely hate to miss church - I feel like my whole week is just a bit off when we aren't there on Sunday mornings. We have only actually skipped once or twice? since we started going to our church, back in 2004. We love it and are so blessed to have found such a great church home.
So I took the Dayquil & ate some breakfast, laid back down & felt quite a bit better by 10 am or so. As you know, Jim & I are training for a run in Nashville the last weekend of April. I am only running the 1/2 marathon (don't need to do the whole thing again!!) and Jim is training for the whole. I run the long runs with him on the weekends. This was the first weekend that the scheduled long training run was probably longer than I need to run, given that I am only training for the half. Jim was scheduled for 15 miles today. I thought I would try to run it with him, or at least 14 of them. However, 12 was plenty for me today. I was happy with that - and we ran quite a quick clip for a training run. We have quite the set up in our driveway on long run weekends...I have tissues, chapstick, water & PowerGels laying there for me, at 4 mile increments. We have a 4 mile loop we run in our neighborhood - so we take a quick 20 seconds every 4 miles to rehydrate & I lube up the lips. We will probably start putting some water at the 2 mile turnaround point too - 4 miles is just too long to run without some water.
After running my 12 miles - I tried 2 new recipes & both were a success! I roasted a whole chicken (my first time cooking a whole chicken! yes - I remembered to take out the neck & "special parts"). The chicken was marinated in worcestshire, dry mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. YUM!!!! I ate a leg, but the rest is for dinner this week. The other recipe I tried was an orange-glazed pork tenderloin. ALSO a success! This is what we had for dinner tonight after coming home from church. The pork was first sprinkled with salt/pepper, then I brushed an orange marmalade, creole mustard & rosemary marinade over it. Once that is baked fully, I pulled the pork out, poured the juices into a pan & made a nice gravy with the orange glaze that was still in the pan. YUM!!! We are going to eat well this week.
Jim is at a case right now - when we were on our way to church tonight, he got paged for a case beginning at 7, but was bumped to 8 due to another emergency. He just called & will be on his way home soon after he gets the instruments cleaned. All in a days work!!
I hope this week goes fast - I am so looking forward to going to St. Louis in a couple of weeks for K's wedding!! I can't wait to share her special day & I can't wait to hang out with N & B! Hopefully we will make it back to STL in time for me to try to hook up with some old friends from my old job. it would be great to see them....it isn't until I see them again that I realize just how much I miss them all!!
My fingers hurt....gotta go to bed! :)
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Cheers to the Chef!
I know, I know...you probably thought I was already over the posting thing! It has been over a week since I posted. To be honest, I just haven't felt like being on a computer after work lately! Working really long days doesn't make me want to boot up at home at about 8 pm while I eat supper!
The interesting thing about blogging though....as I go throughout my day, I can't help but think "hmmm...this would make for an interesting post"! Granted, some things I would LOVE to post about, I choose not to! I know anyone can read it!
I have to brag a bit about my husband! He had been wanting to make some gumbo for a long time. Can you believe we have lived in the South for nearly 3 years, and we are yet to make gumbo...let alone roux from scratch? What is even more amazing is that I had never heard of either one until I moved down here! And I digress....
Anyhoo - Jim was in charge of the roux making, which I am told is the most important part of the gumbo, and the trickiest. It took him longer than he thought it would...and he kept asking me to come look at it to see if it had gotten any darker, or if I thought it was thick enough. He was using a Tony C cookbook that contained a picture of what the roux was supposed to look like. Anyone living down here knows that Tony's is to the South (namely, Louisiana!) as salt is to the rest of the US! While Jim was working on the roux, I was very busy chopping up peppers, onions, celery, and getting the shrimp & garlic & crab ready to go in the mix. The conecuh sausage was also a great addition! Can I just say...YUMMY! That is some of the best gumbo I have ever had! And it is like any other soup...the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it gets. Of course, there is a limit to this phenomenon - which is why we are going to be freezing the rest of it. Kudos to the chef!
I got to talk to my friend, N, tonight on my way home from work! We are staying with them when we go back to the Lou for another friend's (K) wedding! We are both getting really excited about going back & seeing everyone, but we are honestly not looking forward to the drive! It is a good 12 hour drive. But Jim & I enjoy each other's company so much, sometime it is nice to actually have 12 solid hours together without other distractions & commitments (housework, work calls, errands, tv, etc) - so it shouldn't be that bad. The drive home on Sunday will definitely be the worst part of the trip! We will be tired from a late night at the wedding reception!
The interesting thing about blogging though....as I go throughout my day, I can't help but think "hmmm...this would make for an interesting post"! Granted, some things I would LOVE to post about, I choose not to! I know anyone can read it!
I have to brag a bit about my husband! He had been wanting to make some gumbo for a long time. Can you believe we have lived in the South for nearly 3 years, and we are yet to make gumbo...let alone roux from scratch? What is even more amazing is that I had never heard of either one until I moved down here! And I digress....
Anyhoo - Jim was in charge of the roux making, which I am told is the most important part of the gumbo, and the trickiest. It took him longer than he thought it would...and he kept asking me to come look at it to see if it had gotten any darker, or if I thought it was thick enough. He was using a Tony C cookbook that contained a picture of what the roux was supposed to look like. Anyone living down here knows that Tony's is to the South (namely, Louisiana!) as salt is to the rest of the US! While Jim was working on the roux, I was very busy chopping up peppers, onions, celery, and getting the shrimp & garlic & crab ready to go in the mix. The conecuh sausage was also a great addition! Can I just say...YUMMY! That is some of the best gumbo I have ever had! And it is like any other soup...the longer it sits in the fridge, the better it gets. Of course, there is a limit to this phenomenon - which is why we are going to be freezing the rest of it. Kudos to the chef!
I got to talk to my friend, N, tonight on my way home from work! We are staying with them when we go back to the Lou for another friend's (K) wedding! We are both getting really excited about going back & seeing everyone, but we are honestly not looking forward to the drive! It is a good 12 hour drive. But Jim & I enjoy each other's company so much, sometime it is nice to actually have 12 solid hours together without other distractions & commitments (housework, work calls, errands, tv, etc) - so it shouldn't be that bad. The drive home on Sunday will definitely be the worst part of the trip! We will be tired from a late night at the wedding reception!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Rainy Lazy Saturday
I've enjoyed today so far. Unfortunately, Jim has been working for most of the day, covering a case first thing this morning, then coming home and was home long enough to run a 3 mile jog with me before he got called out again to cover another case. He is on his way back home now, so I think we are going to watch a movie (it is a perfect napping / movie / reading day since it is raining!) and make a yummy dinner. It's been a long time since we have cooked a nice meal together since i didn't make it home all week before 8:00 pm. Leaving for work at 6:15 in the morning and getting home at 8:00 or so each night this week made for a LONG one.
One of my guilty pleasures on the weekend when Jim is at work and I have done the regular stuff around the house is to watch the E network on TV! Talk about some mindless tv!! Today, I have been watching a special on Lottery winners, and how their lives transpire after the big win. It's amazing to me the number of people who basically end up worse off than they ever were before! I keep thinking to myself, "how wasteful"! How many wonderful things could I do with all of that money, for both myself & others?! Of course, I would like to say that a HUGE amount of money wouldn't change me, but I think that may be a bit naive. I do know that we would like travel more and we would have a different house (at least different carpet in ours!!). And I am NOT one of those people that would say "i would still work even if I was a millionaire". Are you kidding me?? I wouldn't even hand in my badge...I would stick it in the mail! I don't go to work because I love it, although I know there are some people out there that can say that. I go to work to earn a living so I can enjoy the REST of my life as I work and eventually retire. Working to me is simply a means to enjoy things OUTSIDE of work. Don't get me wrong...I have been blessed to have some good friends at work and I am better for having them in my life. But we could still keep in touch if I was a millionaire!
Tomorrow is our weekly long run. The training plan we are following have us running 13 miles tomorrow. Jim bought some of those goo pack things, which will be nice to have along the way. We run in our neighborhood, and have a 4 mile path identified by using a very cool website that tracks distances. We keep chapstick, kleenex, water, and food at our driveway while we are running long runs so we can fuel up a few times during the run. There is no way to do it without food & water along the way!
One of my guilty pleasures on the weekend when Jim is at work and I have done the regular stuff around the house is to watch the E network on TV! Talk about some mindless tv!! Today, I have been watching a special on Lottery winners, and how their lives transpire after the big win. It's amazing to me the number of people who basically end up worse off than they ever were before! I keep thinking to myself, "how wasteful"! How many wonderful things could I do with all of that money, for both myself & others?! Of course, I would like to say that a HUGE amount of money wouldn't change me, but I think that may be a bit naive. I do know that we would like travel more and we would have a different house (at least different carpet in ours!!). And I am NOT one of those people that would say "i would still work even if I was a millionaire". Are you kidding me?? I wouldn't even hand in my badge...I would stick it in the mail! I don't go to work because I love it, although I know there are some people out there that can say that. I go to work to earn a living so I can enjoy the REST of my life as I work and eventually retire. Working to me is simply a means to enjoy things OUTSIDE of work. Don't get me wrong...I have been blessed to have some good friends at work and I am better for having them in my life. But we could still keep in touch if I was a millionaire!
Tomorrow is our weekly long run. The training plan we are following have us running 13 miles tomorrow. Jim bought some of those goo pack things, which will be nice to have along the way. We run in our neighborhood, and have a 4 mile path identified by using a very cool website that tracks distances. We keep chapstick, kleenex, water, and food at our driveway while we are running long runs so we can fuel up a few times during the run. There is no way to do it without food & water along the way!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Goose Sighting
So I finally saw my roadkill today....at least I think it was the same goose! Apparently it took my brain about 1/2 mile to realize what had happened to me on that fateful Friday, because the evidence was NOT in the same spot where I thought the incident occurred.
There could be 3 explanations:
1 - I hit that thing SO hard, it flew back that far!!! Not likely, as I probably wouldn't have been the only one with a broken windshield if this were the case.
2- There is a cult of suicidal geese on the highway in Pascagoula, MS!!
3 - Maybe it took my brain about 1/2 mile to realize what had happened to me on that fateful Friday, because the evidence was NOT in the same spot where I thought the incident occurred.
There could be 3 explanations:
1 - I hit that thing SO hard, it flew back that far!!! Not likely, as I probably wouldn't have been the only one with a broken windshield if this were the case.
2- There is a cult of suicidal geese on the highway in Pascagoula, MS!!
3 - Maybe it took my brain about 1/2 mile to realize what had happened to me on that fateful Friday, because the evidence was NOT in the same spot where I thought the incident occurred.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Ode to my Pea
Today is such a special day,
I really have so much to say!
You're my pea
It's plain to see
blah blah blah blah blah blay.
(I never was much for writing limericks)
Jim turned 33 today! What a perfect day for me to tell you all just what a fantastic guy I have in my life! I truly believe that my life got better when I met Jim! We are best friends & he is the one person that I would choose to hang out with at any given moment. I will spare him the embarrassment of putting all my gush out there on this website, but just trust me when I say that I am absolutely the luckiest gal around. And his birthday is one day, especially, out of the rest of the year that I thank God for sending him my way! :)
By the way - today has become doubly special! Today, Mr. Robert McIntyre Crabtree was born!! Congrats to our good friends here in Mobile, Forrest & Kelly Crabtree, who just welcomed their first child into this world today. We just got the news & are so happy for you both! We will always remember McIntyre's birthday!! :) We can't wait to meet him!
ps - My windshield is fixed :)
I really have so much to say!
You're my pea
It's plain to see
blah blah blah blah blah blay.
(I never was much for writing limericks)
Jim turned 33 today! What a perfect day for me to tell you all just what a fantastic guy I have in my life! I truly believe that my life got better when I met Jim! We are best friends & he is the one person that I would choose to hang out with at any given moment. I will spare him the embarrassment of putting all my gush out there on this website, but just trust me when I say that I am absolutely the luckiest gal around. And his birthday is one day, especially, out of the rest of the year that I thank God for sending him my way! :)
By the way - today has become doubly special! Today, Mr. Robert McIntyre Crabtree was born!! Congrats to our good friends here in Mobile, Forrest & Kelly Crabtree, who just welcomed their first child into this world today. We just got the news & are so happy for you both! We will always remember McIntyre's birthday!! :) We can't wait to meet him!
ps - My windshield is fixed :)
Sunday, January 21, 2007
A Tough Run
Today, Jim & I ran 10 miles right after church for our long run this week. We both realized that yesterday's 5k was harder on us than we realized! Today's run was tough. It was also unbearably humid here, with the temp at 70 degrees or so, which makes for a miserable long run. However, there was a VERY stiff breeze that did feel good, even though it did make it tougher to run against it.
This afternoon has been a lazy one - after the run we came back in, ate lunch & took a nap while watching the Saints/Bears playoff game. My boss is in the 1st row on one of the end zones - I bet he is freezing his tail off! After living in the South for a few years now, I have become such a wimp to the cold weather! So I can't imagine sitting out in it for hours.
This evening, we are going to church to help facilitate "Bible Skills & Thrills" with K-6th graders. I have to say, some of these little ones are just precious to me already, after having only worked with them last week so far. Others of them....although precious, are a bit of a handful! It's funny how you can pick out the troublemakers after only a few minutes in the room with them! I hope this week goes better. Afterwards, we are going to our friends' Angie & Owen's house for a football watch party / birthday party.
Never a dull moment!!
This afternoon has been a lazy one - after the run we came back in, ate lunch & took a nap while watching the Saints/Bears playoff game. My boss is in the 1st row on one of the end zones - I bet he is freezing his tail off! After living in the South for a few years now, I have become such a wimp to the cold weather! So I can't imagine sitting out in it for hours.
This evening, we are going to church to help facilitate "Bible Skills & Thrills" with K-6th graders. I have to say, some of these little ones are just precious to me already, after having only worked with them last week so far. Others of them....although precious, are a bit of a handful! It's funny how you can pick out the troublemakers after only a few minutes in the room with them! I hope this week goes better. Afterwards, we are going to our friends' Angie & Owen's house for a football watch party / birthday party.
Never a dull moment!!
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Panther Pride 5k Results
This morning, Jim & I woke up early to eat some race-day traditional banana bread, drink coffee & get ready for today's Panther Pride 5k. We both decided this morning that we were going to push ourselves hard during this race, since we figure we can do anything tough for 3.1 miles! We were both very happy with our results...I ended up shaving over 2 minutes off my last 5k we ran in December. I finished in 25:29, which was an 8:12 split. I was 9th out of 13 in my age division (tough crowd!!), and 115th out of 326 total runners. Jim averaged just under 8:00 per mile...at 7:58, finishing the race in 24:48. He was 97 out of 326, and 9th in his age division out of 24.
The post-race food today was great - doughnuts, bagels, pastries. I opted to go for the oranges instead, until they had pepperoni pizzas delivered from Godfathers!! Hot pizza at 9:00 am hit the spot. After we left the race, we stopped by the gym on the way home to do some weight training. We came home, showered up fast & went to a matinee to see "The Good Shepherd". We asked Jim's dad to join us, and he chose wisely by not coming. It was too long - the movie could have been shortened quite a bit & it would have been more enjoyable. Matt Damon was good in the movie, but he probably had about 50 lines in the whole 2+ hours! Strange & complicated movie.
Tomorrow is a 10 mile run for us both. I'm looking forward to it because I am at a very good part of my book on CD that I'm listening to on my iPod while I run. I'm listening to "The Poisonwood Bible", highly recommended by my sisters-in-law, and the fiance of Jim's childhood friend. Every book recommended by Tammi & Pam have been great - they haven't let me down yet!!
The post-race food today was great - doughnuts, bagels, pastries. I opted to go for the oranges instead, until they had pepperoni pizzas delivered from Godfathers!! Hot pizza at 9:00 am hit the spot. After we left the race, we stopped by the gym on the way home to do some weight training. We came home, showered up fast & went to a matinee to see "The Good Shepherd". We asked Jim's dad to join us, and he chose wisely by not coming. It was too long - the movie could have been shortened quite a bit & it would have been more enjoyable. Matt Damon was good in the movie, but he probably had about 50 lines in the whole 2+ hours! Strange & complicated movie.
Tomorrow is a 10 mile run for us both. I'm looking forward to it because I am at a very good part of my book on CD that I'm listening to on my iPod while I run. I'm listening to "The Poisonwood Bible", highly recommended by my sisters-in-law, and the fiance of Jim's childhood friend. Every book recommended by Tammi & Pam have been great - they haven't let me down yet!!
Friday, January 19, 2007
The Results
By the way - after reading my posts below, I realized that I didn't report out on my First Light Half Marathon results!
Here's the "Unofficial" results from the First Light Half Marathon webpage:
I finished 9th out of 40 in my age group with a time of 2:05:30, which is a 9:35/mile pace. I finished 184th out of 410 total runners of the half marathon. Not too shabby for my first ever half marathon!
Here's the "Unofficial" results from the First Light Half Marathon webpage:
I finished 9th out of 40 in my age group with a time of 2:05:30, which is a 9:35/mile pace. I finished 184th out of 410 total runners of the half marathon. Not too shabby for my first ever half marathon!
Tomorrow morning, Jim & I are running in the Panther Pride 5K. Here's a secret for you...I haven't been on a run since the half marathon last Sunday!!
Not your average Friday
There's no good way to say this....I am now a murderer. Although, I still do think that goose was a bit suicidal.
I was driving to work this morning around 7:30. I was probably 5 minutes from work, driving through Pascagoula, MS when I noticed a couple of geese in the median of the highway. They looked happy enough, pecking around at the ground on this gloomy morning. But this goes to show you that maybe people (or geese in this case) look or act happy on the outside, but maybe aren't really all that happy. For this goose, today was the end. Today was the day that he/she chose to end it all. This goose took off to fly (they're not such graceful taker-offers) but didn't quite clear my car on the ascension. ***WHOMP*** (this said in the James-style) Of course, at any anticipation of impact or something flying at you causes one to squish down in their seat & tightly shut ones eyes!! This reaction in and of itself could have really been bad!! But when I opened my eyes, the entire driver's side of my windshield was busted! There was even glass on my dash!
I have never been in an accident, other than a little love tap of a bumper at a rolling stop about 8 years ago, so needless to say - I was very very shaken up. The crazy thing about it was I didn't stop. The whole rest of the way to work, I had my hand over my mouth in shock, I was shaking, and kept trying to figure out if I should have stopped, but if I stopped, what would I do....give mouth to beak? I mean - I don't have a clue where the goose even went!? And there's really nothing to stop for. I doubt that the police would need to fill out a report or notify the goose's next of kin (I am betting that its next of kin was the other goose on the scene of the accident). As I kept driving, more glass shards were falling on my dash.
The only other thing to do at a scary time like this? Call the husband & cry like a baby!! I called Jim on his cell phone and he didn't pick up - Now what?! So I did something that I have only done one other time since he started his orthopedic surgical sales rep job...I paged him. Jim knows that something has to be awfully wrong for me to page him, so he returned my call right away & was definitely worried that something was very wrong. He was very relieved to know that I was only calling to report a suicidal goose & a busted windshield!! So I cried & blabbed for a couple of minutes until he told me that he had actually left a surgery to return my page. What a sweetheart! And that, my friend, is why you should never ever page to find out what is for dinner every night. Then they'll never think your page is an emergency! :) He takes such good care of me - he calmed me down & made me feel much better about the situation.
So the rest of the day included many phone calls from my coworkers who also park in the same lot as I do. I think they thought I committed a hit & run on the way to work - hee hee hee. I guess in a way, they were right! More so, people were calling to see if I was ok, see if I needed a ride or to see if I was shaken up. After I got over the initial shock & scare, I was able to laugh about it a little! Although, I wasn't quite ready for Jim's call to me this afternoon that began with "Hey Goose Killer!" Grumpy.
I called my insurance company, they told me I had no deductible for windshield replacement (WOOHOO!) and I got in touch with a great company in Mobile to do the work on the same day. I was worried to drive my car all the way back to Mobile with the windshield in its condition, and the speed of the highway & wind did cause some additional shards to fall on my dash - but I made it. I had a brand new Volkswagen windshield in 30 minutes! No money exchanged, no forms to fill out, no feathers to pluck.
Not bad for a Friday, huh?
I was driving to work this morning around 7:30. I was probably 5 minutes from work, driving through Pascagoula, MS when I noticed a couple of geese in the median of the highway. They looked happy enough, pecking around at the ground on this gloomy morning. But this goes to show you that maybe people (or geese in this case) look or act happy on the outside, but maybe aren't really all that happy. For this goose, today was the end. Today was the day that he/she chose to end it all. This goose took off to fly (they're not such graceful taker-offers) but didn't quite clear my car on the ascension. ***WHOMP*** (this said in the James-style) Of course, at any anticipation of impact or something flying at you causes one to squish down in their seat & tightly shut ones eyes!! This reaction in and of itself could have really been bad!! But when I opened my eyes, the entire driver's side of my windshield was busted! There was even glass on my dash!
I have never been in an accident, other than a little love tap of a bumper at a rolling stop about 8 years ago, so needless to say - I was very very shaken up. The crazy thing about it was I didn't stop. The whole rest of the way to work, I had my hand over my mouth in shock, I was shaking, and kept trying to figure out if I should have stopped, but if I stopped, what would I do....give mouth to beak? I mean - I don't have a clue where the goose even went!? And there's really nothing to stop for. I doubt that the police would need to fill out a report or notify the goose's next of kin (I am betting that its next of kin was the other goose on the scene of the accident). As I kept driving, more glass shards were falling on my dash.
The only other thing to do at a scary time like this? Call the husband & cry like a baby!! I called Jim on his cell phone and he didn't pick up - Now what?! So I did something that I have only done one other time since he started his orthopedic surgical sales rep job...I paged him. Jim knows that something has to be awfully wrong for me to page him, so he returned my call right away & was definitely worried that something was very wrong. He was very relieved to know that I was only calling to report a suicidal goose & a busted windshield!! So I cried & blabbed for a couple of minutes until he told me that he had actually left a surgery to return my page. What a sweetheart! And that, my friend, is why you should never ever page to find out what is for dinner every night. Then they'll never think your page is an emergency! :) He takes such good care of me - he calmed me down & made me feel much better about the situation.
So the rest of the day included many phone calls from my coworkers who also park in the same lot as I do. I think they thought I committed a hit & run on the way to work - hee hee hee. I guess in a way, they were right! More so, people were calling to see if I was ok, see if I needed a ride or to see if I was shaken up. After I got over the initial shock & scare, I was able to laugh about it a little! Although, I wasn't quite ready for Jim's call to me this afternoon that began with "Hey Goose Killer!" Grumpy.
I called my insurance company, they told me I had no deductible for windshield replacement (WOOHOO!) and I got in touch with a great company in Mobile to do the work on the same day. I was worried to drive my car all the way back to Mobile with the windshield in its condition, and the speed of the highway & wind did cause some additional shards to fall on my dash - but I made it. I had a brand new Volkswagen windshield in 30 minutes! No money exchanged, no forms to fill out, no feathers to pluck.
Not bad for a Friday, huh?
Monday, January 15, 2007
Two days in a row???
This is a new record! Two blogs in two days!! Pam - pick your jaw up off the floor! :-)
Tonight, I went to Bible Study at my church, where we are doing a 4-week video session of "Loving Well" by Beth Moore. The point of the study is to understand God's love for us, and how that leads to us loving others, which is God's commandment to us. The first week's session established 4 categories of people that we are called by God to love....and if you get right down to it - everyone you know can be placed in these 4 categories:
1 - Joy....These are the people who are a JOY to love! Now of course, this doesn't mean you never get frustrated at these people, or annoyed or even down right mad at them because we are not God and our love is not Perfect Love - as His is. Your "Joy" people are easy to love and you love being around them.
2 - Testy....These people are those that you just dread. You deal with them, but you don't look forward to it. They are under your skin before you even start a conversation with them! They try every ounce of you! You just can't imagine HOW you are supposed to love these people?!
3 - Hate....This person or these people are those that you can admit that you truly hate, or have hated, even though you know it is just so wrong to hate them. They have wronged you so terribly or have done something so despicable in your life that you have no idea how to forgive them, let alone, how to love them.
4 - Far...These are the people that you don't know at all or hardly know. God also calls us to love strangers, provide for them, give to them, be kind to them, LOVE them. LOOK for opportunities to love strangers.
I thought these 4 categories were quite fitting, and it really got me to thinking about who I have in each category. God doesn't just tell us to love the JOYs in our life - even though that is where we tend to concentrate the most time, effort & energy in loving.
My commitment during this study is to gain a deeper understanding of God's love for me, which will then cause me to love myself better, and will therefore allow me to love others & show God's love through my actions.
But between me & you...I had some "testy" encounters today.....God is still working! Let's just put it this way...I still have some work to do!
Tonight, I went to Bible Study at my church, where we are doing a 4-week video session of "Loving Well" by Beth Moore. The point of the study is to understand God's love for us, and how that leads to us loving others, which is God's commandment to us. The first week's session established 4 categories of people that we are called by God to love....and if you get right down to it - everyone you know can be placed in these 4 categories:
1 - Joy....These are the people who are a JOY to love! Now of course, this doesn't mean you never get frustrated at these people, or annoyed or even down right mad at them because we are not God and our love is not Perfect Love - as His is. Your "Joy" people are easy to love and you love being around them.
2 - Testy....These people are those that you just dread. You deal with them, but you don't look forward to it. They are under your skin before you even start a conversation with them! They try every ounce of you! You just can't imagine HOW you are supposed to love these people?!
3 - Hate....This person or these people are those that you can admit that you truly hate, or have hated, even though you know it is just so wrong to hate them. They have wronged you so terribly or have done something so despicable in your life that you have no idea how to forgive them, let alone, how to love them.
4 - Far...These are the people that you don't know at all or hardly know. God also calls us to love strangers, provide for them, give to them, be kind to them, LOVE them. LOOK for opportunities to love strangers.
I thought these 4 categories were quite fitting, and it really got me to thinking about who I have in each category. God doesn't just tell us to love the JOYs in our life - even though that is where we tend to concentrate the most time, effort & energy in loving.
My commitment during this study is to gain a deeper understanding of God's love for me, which will then cause me to love myself better, and will therefore allow me to love others & show God's love through my actions.
But between me & you...I had some "testy" encounters today.....God is still working! Let's just put it this way...I still have some work to do!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
So obviously I didn't get into the whole blogging thing...with about 2 years since my last post! But now....my new inspiration for posting is my husband, Jim!!! He has started a blog recently to document his training experience for his first marathon coming up April 28, 2007...the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN (and NO, neither of us like Country music!!).
I have to say....I have no need to do another marathon. It's a long story - but I basically completed my husband's goal in Febrary of 2005. He & I were both training for a marathon, but he injured his knee about 1 1/2 months into the 4 month training program. I am just too darn stubborn to stop something midstream, so I completed training all by myself and successfully ran my first (and LAST!) marathon in 4 hrs, 26 minutes (unofficial was 4 hrs 23 minutes....took me 3 minutes to get to the Start line).
I do plan on training with Jim and being there for support and encouragement, as he was with me. I will run the half marathon in Nashville, while Jim & our brother-in-law, Robert, run the full marathon. Today, the 3 of us ran the First Light Half Marathon in Mobile, AL and were all very happy with the results!
All of this running has really been fun - and it has definitely been a family affair! Robert's son, Adam, has also taken up running! He ran the fun run today in Mobile, AL while we 3 were running our 13.1. He also plans on running the 5k in Nashville! Robert's parents, and Jim's parents will likely make the trek to Nashville to see the race. Hopefully some of my family will make the drive from Missouri to join the fun as well! My mom and stepdad are planning on coming to our next race in Mobile, AL - the Azalea Trail run. We have never run in this race - but have heard it is just a gorgeous race....just as it is gorgeous EVERYWHERE in Mobile when all of the azaleas are blooming!
But let's be honest with each other. One of the reasons I am into this racing thing is because of the training. And one of the reasons I am into this training thing is because of burning calories. And one of the reasons I am into burning calories is because I LOVE TO EAT!!! :-) Seriously - during the marathon training in 2004 & 2005, I ate anything I wanted, as much as I wanted & I couldn't keep the weight on! I was having to pin my pants to hold them up - what a good feeling! BUT - I am in my friend Kristin's wedding in one month in St. Louis! I just got fitted for my bridesmaid dress last week & it fit perfectly...just needed a hem. My point is...I can't lose or gain any weight during this next month! And now that I am up to 13+ mile runs on the weekends, I will just have to eat whatever I want to balance it out :-)!
Gotta get going. I promise I won't wait 2 years to post again....
I have to say....I have no need to do another marathon. It's a long story - but I basically completed my husband's goal in Febrary of 2005. He & I were both training for a marathon, but he injured his knee about 1 1/2 months into the 4 month training program. I am just too darn stubborn to stop something midstream, so I completed training all by myself and successfully ran my first (and LAST!) marathon in 4 hrs, 26 minutes (unofficial was 4 hrs 23 minutes....took me 3 minutes to get to the Start line).
I do plan on training with Jim and being there for support and encouragement, as he was with me. I will run the half marathon in Nashville, while Jim & our brother-in-law, Robert, run the full marathon. Today, the 3 of us ran the First Light Half Marathon in Mobile, AL and were all very happy with the results!
All of this running has really been fun - and it has definitely been a family affair! Robert's son, Adam, has also taken up running! He ran the fun run today in Mobile, AL while we 3 were running our 13.1. He also plans on running the 5k in Nashville! Robert's parents, and Jim's parents will likely make the trek to Nashville to see the race. Hopefully some of my family will make the drive from Missouri to join the fun as well! My mom and stepdad are planning on coming to our next race in Mobile, AL - the Azalea Trail run. We have never run in this race - but have heard it is just a gorgeous race....just as it is gorgeous EVERYWHERE in Mobile when all of the azaleas are blooming!
But let's be honest with each other. One of the reasons I am into this racing thing is because of the training. And one of the reasons I am into this training thing is because of burning calories. And one of the reasons I am into burning calories is because I LOVE TO EAT!!! :-) Seriously - during the marathon training in 2004 & 2005, I ate anything I wanted, as much as I wanted & I couldn't keep the weight on! I was having to pin my pants to hold them up - what a good feeling! BUT - I am in my friend Kristin's wedding in one month in St. Louis! I just got fitted for my bridesmaid dress last week & it fit perfectly...just needed a hem. My point is...I can't lose or gain any weight during this next month! And now that I am up to 13+ mile runs on the weekends, I will just have to eat whatever I want to balance it out :-)!
Gotta get going. I promise I won't wait 2 years to post again....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
